Hi,

I've seen the photo (embargo till published unfortunately) and Wiltshire also notes the site:-

http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/smr/getsmr.php?id=19979

The article's author, Bryn Walters, is a Roman history academic. These figures were deeply etched into the hill side which explains how they survived the initial ploughing but by 1970 they'd been completely erased.

There's no trace of any local folklore that I can find which would account for them but that's unremarkable considering all the documented sites we know about which would have been topics of conversation for generations at the time, yet all that marks them today is silence.

I am optimistic however that something may eventually come to light - there is so much remaining from the past in this region. These hill figures must surely have constituted some form of visual dialogue between Liddington Camp and Long Barrow?

The ancient story of an owl, and legendary spear throwing, were reworked by Alan Garner into his story of 'The Owl Service'.
http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/book_garner_owlservice.html