Sycamore Gap tree
Sycamore Gap Tree | |
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![]() 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. | |
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Species | Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) |
Location | Near Crag Lough, Northumberland, England |
Coordinates | 55°00′13″N 2°22′26″W / 55.00356°N 2.37387°W |
Date felled | 28 September 2023 |
Custodian | National Trust and Northumberland National Park |
The Sycamore Gap tree or Robin Hood tree was a sycamore tree standing next to Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland, England. It was located in a dramatic dip in the landscape, which was created by glacial meltwater and was a popular photographic subject, described as one of the most photographed trees in the country 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.
It was
Location
The Sycamore Gap tree was by Hadrian's Wall at grid reference NY 761677, between Milecastle 39 and Crag Lough, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Housesteads Roman Fort in Northumberland, northern England.[2] 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.[3] The tree stood within one of these dips with the cliff and wall rising dramatically either side of it.[2] The wall and adjacent land, including the site of the tree, are owned by the National Trust.[2]
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
History
The tree was a sycamore (
The tree featured in a key scene near the beginning of the 1991
In 2016, the tree was nominated for England's Tree of the Year competition.[5] It was selected from 200 competitors for the final shortlist of 10 and won the competition with 2,542 votes out of 11,913.[3] 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.[2] 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.[2][6]
Felling and investigation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/FelledSycamoreTree.jpg/220px-FelledSycamoreTree.jpg)
The tree was
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,[21][22] and were charged with criminal damage to the tree and to Hadrian's Wall in connection with the felling in April 2024.[23]
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.[24] In June 2024 the second man entered a not guilty plea. Both men were released on bail, with the trial scheduled for December 2024.[25]
Aftermath
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:[26][27]
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
A preliminary inspection of Hadrian's Wall by Historic England revealed "some damage".[28][29] The felled tree was cut up and removed by crane for storage on National Trust property.[10]
On 8 March 2024, BBC News reported that the first
Gallery
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Sycamore Gap panorama
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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
References
- ^ "Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree". BBC News. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Read about Sycamore Gap". National Trust. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "Sycamore Gap tree to be cut up and moved by crane". BBC News. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Sycamore Gap tree: The story so far". BBC News. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Meet The Man Who Saved Hadrian's Wall". English Heritage.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "TV crew hurt in air crash". BBC News. 30 May 2003. Archived from the original on 7 October 2003. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ "Star gardener escapes 'copter death". Evening Chronicle. 30 May 2003. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Robinson, Chris (13 December 2023). "Sycamore Gap tree: the story so far". BBC News.
- ^ "Man faces no further action over Sycamore Gap damage". BBC News. 13 December 2023.
- ^ "Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree". BBC News. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ "Sycamore Gap: Man pleads not guilty to cutting down tree". 15 May 2024 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Second man denies felling famous Sycamore gap tree". BBC. 12 June 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Staff Reporter (11 October 2023). "Felled Sycamore Gap tree to be removed by crane". Ireland Live. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ Mark Brown (5 October 2023). "Felling of Sycamore Gap tree damaged Hadrian's Wall, inspection reveals". The Guardian.
- ^ Samantha Jagger (5 October 2023). "Sycamore Gap: Hadrian's Wall damage found after tree cut down". BBC News.
- ^ Bradshaw, Harriet; Rannard, Georgina (8 March 2024). "Sycamore Gap: New life springs from rescued tree". BBC News. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ Manning, Jonny; Mucklejohn, Piers (27 May 2024). "King receives Sycamore Gap tree seedlings". BBC News. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
Further reading
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 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 6 October 2023.