A MYSTERIOUS crop circle on Weir Farm in Broad Hinton is attracting visitors from across the town.

Unlike many farmers who disprove of visits to their land, James Hussey is inviting people to have a look at the unusual sight to raise money for Brighter Futures. In return for a £3 donation towards the charity’s radiotherapy appeal, people can get a tour of the field from crop circle researcher Paul Jacobs.

Paul told the Adver about his charitable Core Group Initiative which aims to facilitate access to crop circles across the country while keeping farmers onside. He said: “We meet and greet many visitors who come along to see crop circles in an organised way. I share my observations, where and when they occur, and talk about what they look like. They’re extremely complicated in their geometry and finesse. They baffle you.”

“I wanted to transform that negative association people had with them by using charity as a catalyst, turning it into something positive. It’s been very popular with farmers and its going from strength to strength.”

“Children find it incredibly thrilling and it’s a great thing for the family to do to get out into the countryside.”

The retired landlord developed a fascination for the hobby when he saw a newspaper photo of a crop circle near his home in East Anglia. His father encouraged the passion and he has now been visiting crop circles for 10 years.

Whether they hold beliefs in the supernatural or not, visitors can ask questions about the origins of the circles and the meanings of the patterns by coming to the parking area below the white horse on Hackpen Hill. Paul and his wife Helen will run tours over the next few weeks from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm and children can join in for free.

James Hussey, who owns Weir Farm in Broad Hinton, said: “We’ve had a number of visitors over the years and I’m more crop-circle friendly than most farmers. I do feel they are fascinating and I don’t know how or where they come from but sometimes it’s nice not to know everything.”

James lost his wife Gill to breast cancer four years ago. The couple had to make repeated journeys to Churchill Hospital in Oxford so Gill could access radiotherapy treatment. “It affects you at a terrible time in your life,” James added. “It’s absolutely essential that we get this radiotherapy centre in Swindon and it’s important that we make life easier for other people and save them a lot of travelling time.”

With permission to use the farmer’s land, Paul has managed to raise £16,000 for the radiotherapy appeal over the past 6 years. After Brighter Futures reaches its £2.9 million target the money will be used to buy clinical equipment for a new radiotherapy unit at Great Western Hospital.