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Sycamore Gap tree

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The Sycamore Gap tree or Robin Hood tree was a sycamore tree next to Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland, England. Standing in a dramatic dip in the landscape created by glacial meltwater, it was one of the country's most photographed trees and an emblem for the North East of England. It derived its alternative name from featuring in a prominent scene in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The tree won the 2016 England Tree of the Year award.

Sycamore Gap Tree
View of the tree from the south in October 2020. Hadrian's Wall is visible to the left of and in front of the tree.
Map
SpeciesSycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
LocationNear Crag Lough, Northumberland, England
Coordinates
Date felled28 September 2023 (2023-09-28)
CustodianNational Trust and Northumberland National Park

The tree was felled in the early morning of 28 September 2023 in what Northumbria Police described as "an act of vandalism". The felling of the tree led to an outpouring of anger and sadness. Two men from Cumbria, aged 38 and 31, were arrested in October 2023 and charged in April 2024 with criminal damage both to the tree and to the adjacent Hadrian's Wall.[1]

The stump has thrown up seedlings and is still alive, albeit severely coppiced, but is expected to take over 150 years to recover.[2]

Location

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The Sycamore Gap tree was by Hadrian's Wall at grid reference NY 761 677, between Milecastle 39 and Crag Lough, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Housesteads Roman Fort in Northumberland, northern England.[3] This section of the wall follows the edge of a cliff – an outcrop of the Whin Sill – and several sharp dips in it caused by melting glacial waters.[4] The tree stood within one of these dips with the cliff and wall rising dramatically either side.[3] The wall and adjacent land, including the site of the tree, are owned by the National Trust.[3]

A popular attraction, the tree was described as one of the most photographed in the country and the location may be the most photographed point in all of Northumberland National Park.[5][6][7] It was visible from the nearby B6318 Military Road.[3] The name "Sycamore Gap" was coined by a National Trust employee when the Ordnance Survey were remapping the area and asked if the previously unnamed spot had a designation.[8]

History

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The tree was a non-native sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).[7][9] According to the National Trust, it was planted in the late 19th century by the previous land owner, Newcastle lawyer John Clayton (1792–1890) as a landscape feature,[10] making it about 150 years old.[11][12] Clayton was part of a wealthy family and he inherited the Roman fort of Chesters. He was a keen excavator of Hadrian's Wall; for almost 50 years, he excavated every year, enhancing the understanding of the construction of Hadrian's Wall, and became worried that it was being destroyed by people taking the dressed stone to build farmhouses and other buildings. By the time he died he owned five forts and around 20 miles of Hadrian's Wall. By purchasing these sites he brought them under his protection.[13]

The tree featured in a key scene near the beginning of the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and has subsequently become known as the "Robin Hood tree", although in reality it was some 170 miles (273 km) from Sherwood Forest.[6][7] It appeared in the music video for Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", a song from the film's soundtrack; the video was shown often on the British TV series Top of the Pops.[3] It has also appeared in the TV crime drama Vera and in the documentary series More Tales from Northumberland with Robson Green.[8] The site was popular among astrophotographers and stargazers.[14] The tree escaped damage on 30 May 2003 when a helicopter filming British Isles – A Natural History crashed around 30 metres (98 ft) away, narrowly avoiding presenter Alan Titchmarsh. The four on board the aircraft were lightly injured.[15][16]

In 2016, the tree was nominated for England's Tree of the Year competition.[6] It was selected from 200 competitors for the final shortlist of 10 and won the competition with 2,542 votes out of 11,913.[4] The prize was a £1,000 grant which was used to survey the health of the tree and to carry out work to protect its roots, which were becoming exposed due to the high volume of foot traffic passing over them.[3] The Sycamore Gap Tree was entered in the 2017 European Tree of the Year contest in which it came 5th out of 16, polling 7,123 votes.[3][7]

Felling and investigation

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The tree two days after it was felled

The tree was felled in the early morning of 28 September 2023. Locals heard nothing due to the high winds caused by Storm Agnes.[17] The Northumberland National Park Authority said they believed it was done deliberately.[18] Northumbria Police described the felling of the tree as "a deliberate act of vandalism".[19] The tree appeared to have been cut down with a chainsaw, at the base of its trunk,[20] with a white line spray painted on it just below the cut.[21] The nature of the cut and the evident sharpness of the saw led police and park rangers to conclude it had been done by someone with considerable skill.[17]

Northumbria Police arrested a 16-year-old boy and a man in his sixties in connection with the tree's felling, and later arrested two more men in their 30s from Cumbria. The force later indicated no further action will be taken against the boy and the man in his 60s, while the other two men remained on bail,[22][23] and were charged with criminal damage to the tree and to Hadrian's Wall in connection with the felling in April 2024.[24]

On 15 May 2024 two men, charged with criminal damage both to the tree and to Hadrian's Wall, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court. One entered pleas of not guilty to both charges and the second entered no plea.[25] In June 2024 the second man entered two not guilty pleas. Both men were released on bail. A trial was listed for 3 December 2024 and was anticipated to last at least 10 days.[26]

Aftermath

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The destruction of the tree led to an outpouring of anger and sadness. Over the decades, the tree had become the backdrop for marriage proposals, weddings and spreading the ashes of loved ones. The National Trust's regional director for the North of England said:[27][28]

The outpouring we've seen shows just how important the connection is between people and nature in its many forms, and as we consider plans for this special tree, and this very special place, we'll also look to harness that support for trees, landscapes and nature all across the country, and use the sycamore as a symbol of recovery.

On 29 September, a National Trust manager said that the stump seemed "healthy" and thought that the tree could possibly regrow in coppiced form, although he added that it would "take a few years to develop into even a small tree and around 150 to 200 years before it is anywhere close to what we have lost".[9] Seeds were collected from the tree which are to be used to propagate new saplings.[22]

A preliminary inspection of Hadrian's Wall by Historic England revealed "some damage".[29][30] The felled tree was cut up and removed by crane for storage on National Trust property.[11]

On 8 March 2024, BBC News reported that the first seedlings had sprouted from genetic material recovered at the site.[31] The first seedling was presented to King Charles III who announced that it would be planted in the Windsor Great Park once it had matured into a sapling.[32] In August 2024, it was found that new shoots had appeared at the base of the stump.[2]

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  •  
    Sycamore Gap panorama
  •  
    View looking west from the north side of Hadrian's Wall
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    The tree in summer 2018
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    Astrophotography at the Sycamore Gap
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    Sycamore Gap, June 2017

References

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  1. ^ "Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree". BBC News. 30 April 2024. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b Chappell, Bill (1 August 2024). "The Sycamore Gap tree is regenerating itself, delighting experts". NPR. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Famous Hadrian's Wall tree wins national competition". Carlisle News and Star. 31 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall is 'Tree of the Year'". ITV News. 18 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  5. ^ Harley, Nicola (17 December 2016). "Robin Hood tree wins coveted Tree of the Year crown". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Henderson, Tony (16 February 2018). "Is Sycamore Gap the most photographed tree in the UK?". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d "The Sycamore Gap Tree". European Tree of the Year. Environmental Partnership Association. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Read about Sycamore Gap". National Trust. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022.
  9. ^ a b Jagger, Samantha; Dodd, Tim (29 September 2023). "Sycamore Gap: Shoots could regrow from felled tree, says trust". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Our statement on the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree". nationaltrust.org.uk. 29 September 2023. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Sycamore Gap tree to be cut up and moved by crane". BBC News. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Sycamore Gap tree: The story so far". BBC News. 5 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Meet The Man Who Saved Hadrian's Wall". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  14. ^ Kelly Kizer Whitt (28 September 2023). "Sycamore Gap tree in the UK, remembered in images". earthsky.org. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  15. ^ "TV crew hurt in air crash". BBC News. 30 May 2003. Archived from the original on 7 October 2003. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Star gardener escapes 'copter death". Evening Chronicle. 30 May 2003. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  17. ^ a b Vinter, Robyn; Halliday, Josh (28 September 2023). "Boy, 16, arrested after felling of famous Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  18. ^ "World famous Sycamore Gap believed to have been 'deliberately felled'". ITV. 28 September 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  19. ^ Smith, Rory (6 October 2023). "A Tree Was Felled. No One Heard It. How Do You Find Out Who Did It?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  20. ^ Vinter, Robyn (28 September 2023). "Famous Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall found cut down". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  21. ^ Sleator, Laurence; Vaughan, Adam (28 September 2023). "Arrest after Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall 'deliberately felled'". The Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  22. ^ a b Robinson, Chris (13 December 2023). "Sycamore Gap tree: the story so far". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Man faces no further action over Sycamore Gap damage". BBC News. 13 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree". BBC News. 30 April 2024. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Sycamore Gap: Man pleads not guilty to cutting down tree". 15 May 2024. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  26. ^ "Second man denies felling famous Sycamore gap tree". BBC. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  27. ^ Gross, Jenny (29 September 2023). "Beloved Tree in England is Felled in 'Act of Vandalism'". New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  28. ^ Staff Reporter (11 October 2023). "Felled Sycamore Gap tree to be removed by crane". Ireland Live. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  29. ^ Mark Brown (5 October 2023). "Felling of Sycamore Gap tree damaged Hadrian's Wall, inspection reveals". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  30. ^ Samantha Jagger (5 October 2023). "Sycamore Gap: Hadrian's Wall damage found after tree cut down". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  31. ^ Bradshaw, Harriet; Rannard, Georgina (8 March 2024). "Sycamore Gap: New life springs from rescued tree". BBC News. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  32. ^ Manning, Jonny; Mucklejohn, Piers (27 May 2024). "King receives Sycamore Gap tree seedlings". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sycamore Gap.
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