Beyond the Veil Magazine

The Warminster Thing

Issue #16: April 1980

Since Christmas Day 1964, the small market town of Warminster in Wiltshire has been the epicentre of unexplained phenomena. Strange sounds, mysterious lights, and unidentified craft have been reported with such frequency that the town has become Britain’s most active UFO hotspot.

They call it “The Thing.”

The Beginning

It started with sound. On Christmas morning 1964, residents reported a tremendous noise (variously described as humming, crackling, or the tearing of giant fabric) that passed over the town shortly before dawn. Birds fell dead from the sky. Houses shook. Those who heard it spoke of an inexplicable dread.

Over the following months, similar sounds were reported repeatedly. They came from nowhere and departed to nowhere, leaving witnesses shaken and unable to explain what they had heard.

Then came the lights.

The Sightings

Arthur Shuttlewood, a journalist with the Warminster Journal, became the principal chronicler of the Warminster phenomena. His 1967 book, The Warminster Mystery, brought international attention to the town.

Shuttlewood documented hundreds of sightings: glowing orbs, cigar-shaped craft, disc-shaped objects that hovered silently over the Wiltshire countryside. Many sightings occurred near Cradle Hill, which became a gathering place for UFO enthusiasts, who would spend nights watching the skies.

Witnesses described craft that defied known physics. Objects would hover motionless, then accelerate to impossible speeds. Lights would split into multiple points, then recombine. Some craft appeared solid; others seemed to shimmer or pulse with inner light.

The Phenomena Continue

Fifteen years later, the Warminster Thing shows no sign of departure. Sightings continue on a regular basis. New witnesses come forward each month, describing phenomena that match the patterns established in the 1960s.

Recent reports include:

February 1980: A triangular formation of lights observed over Cley Hill by multiple witnesses. The lights maintained perfect formation for approximately ten minutes before accelerating upward and vanishing.

March 1980: A cigar-shaped object, estimated at 300 feet in length, seen hovering near Longleat Forest. It was observed for twenty minutes before disappearing “like a light switching off.”

April 1980: Multiple witnesses on Cradle Hill observed a disc-shaped craft that descended to approximately 500 feet, hovered for several minutes, then moved away to the east at high speed.

The sounds have also continued. Residents report low-frequency humming, particularly in the early morning hours. Some describe physical effects: headaches, nausea, and a sense of disorientation that persists for hours after the sound ceases.

Theories

What is the Warminster Thing? Explanations range from the mundane to the extraordinary:

Military Testing: Warminster lies near Salisbury Plain, the largest military training area in Britain. Some suggest the phenomena are experimental aircraft or weapons being tested. However, the sightings began in 1964 and continue today, an implausibly long test programme.

Natural Phenomena: Sceptics propose that geological or atmospheric conditions in the Wiltshire area produce unusual lights and sounds. The chalk geology and ancient trackways have been cited as potentially significant. Yet similar geology exists elsewhere without producing similar effects.

Extraterrestrial Visitors: The most persistent explanation is that Warminster is visited by craft from elsewhere, whether other planets, other dimensions, or other times. The area’s ancient monuments, including Stonehenge and Avebury, may act as beacons or navigation points.

Psychic Projection: Some researchers suggest that the phenomena are produced by human consciousness, collective hallucinations or psychokinetic manifestations. The expectation of sightings may itself produce them.

Cradle Hill

On any clear night, observers can be found on Cradle Hill, waiting. Some are serious researchers with cameras and recording equipment. Others are curiosity seekers hoping for a glimpse of the unknown. All share the conviction that Warminster is special, a place where the veil between known and unknown is thin.

The experiences reported on Cradle Hill go beyond simple sightings. Witnesses describe time distortions, equipment malfunctions, and physical sensations (tingling, warmth, pressure) that suggest proximity to something powerful. Some report communication: not voices, but impressions, images, or feelings that seem to originate from outside themselves.

Arthur Shuttlewood, who has spent countless nights on the hill, believes contact is being attempted. In his writings, he has argued that something is trying to communicate with humanity, but we have not yet learned to listen properly.

Conclusion

Warminster remains unexplained. Sixteen years of sightings have produced no definitive answer to the question of what haunts this Wiltshire town. The phenomena continue. The watchers continue. The Thing, whatever it is, shows no sign of departure.

Perhaps the answer lies not in what the Thing is, but in what it represents: a reminder that the universe contains more than our philosophies have yet imagined.

Readers who have witnessed phenomena in the Warminster area are invited to write to our research department with detailed accounts.