Sycamore Gap tree explained

Sycamore Gap Tree
Species:Sycamore
Binomial:Acer pseudoplatanus
Location:Near Crag Lough, Northumberland, England
Coordinates:55.0036°N -2.3739°W
Custodian:National Trust and Northumberland National Park

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 . The tree won the 2016 England Tree of the Year award.

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]

Location

The Sycamore Gap tree was by Hadrian's Wall at grid reference NY 761677, between Milecastle 39 and Crag Lough, about west of Housesteads Roman Fort in Northumberland, northern England.[2] This section of the wall follows the edge of a cliffan outcrop of the Whin Silland 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.[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 Northumberland National Park.[4] [5] [6] It was visible from the nearby B6318 Military Road.[2] 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.[7]

History

The tree was a non-native sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).[6] [8] 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,[9] making it about 150 years old.[10] [11] 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.[12]

The tree featured in a key scene near the beginning of the 1991 Kevin Costner film and has subsequently become known as the "Robin Hood tree", although in reality it was some 170 miles (273 km) from Sherwood Forest.[5] [6] 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.[2] It has also appeared in the TV crime drama Vera and in the documentary series More Tales from Northumberland with Robson Green.[7] The site was popular among astrophotographers and stargazers.[13] The tree escaped damage on 30 May 2003 when a helicopter filming British Isles – A Natural History crashed around 30m (100feet) away, narrowly avoiding presenter Alan Titchmarsh. The four on board the aircraft were lightly injured.[14] [15]

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

The tree was felled in the early morning of 28 September 2023. Locals heard nothing due to the high winds caused by Storm Agnes.[16] The Northumberland National Park Authority said they believed it was done deliberately.[17] Northumbria Police described the felling of the tree as "a deliberate act of vandalism".[18] The tree appeared to have been cut down with a chainsaw, at the base of its trunk,[19] with a white line spray painted on it just below the cut.[20] 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.[16]

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]

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".[8] Seeds were collected from the tree which are to be used to propagate new saplings.[21]

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 seedlings had sprouted from genetic material recovered at the site.[30] 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.[31] In August 2024, it was found that new shoots had appeared at the base of the stump.[32]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree . 30 April 2024 . BBC News . 30 April 2024 . 21 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020253/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-68931202 . live .
  2. News: Famous Hadrian's Wall tree wins national competition . 11 July 2018 . Carlisle News and Star . 31 December 2016 . 7 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180807125024/http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/Famous-Hadrians-Wall-tree-wins-national-competition-5b8d148a-8eb7-4c4b-9b2d-20e091726817-ds . live .
  3. News: Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall is 'Tree of the Year' . 11 July 2018 . ITV News . 18 December 2016 . en . 7 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180807125500/http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2016-12-18/sycamore-gap-on-hadrians-wall-is-tree-of-the-year/ . live .
  4. News: Harley . Nicola . Robin Hood tree wins coveted Tree of the Year crown . 11 July 2018 . The Telegraph . 17 December 2016 . 7 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180807125000/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/17/robin-hood-tree-wins-coveted-tree-year-crown/ . live .
  5. News: Henderson . Tony . Is Sycamore Gap the most photographed tree in the UK? . 11 July 2018 . Newcastle Evening Chronicle . 16 February 2018 . 27 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220227073405/https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/most-photographed-tree-uk-sure-14297920 . live .
  6. Web site: The Sycamore Gap Tree . European Tree of the Year . Environmental Partnership Association . 29 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200620070033/https://www.treeoftheyear.org/ETY-2/Stromy/Javor-v-prikrem-udoli.aspx . 20 June 2020.
  7. Web site: Read about Sycamore Gap . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704003645/https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hadrians-wall-and-housesteads-fort/features/sycamore-gap . 4 July 2022 . National Trust . en.
  8. News: Jagger . Samantha . Dodd . Tim . Sycamore Gap: Shoots could regrow from felled tree, says trust . 29 September 2023 . . 29 September 2023 . 29 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929080302/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66957589 . live .
  9. Web site: Our statement on the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree. 29 September 2023. 30 September 2023. nationaltrust.org.uk. 30 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230930182628/https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/news/our-statement-on-the-felling-of-the-sycamore-gap-tree. live.
  10. News: Sycamore Gap tree to be cut up and moved by crane . 11 October 2023 . BBC News . 11 October 2023 . 11 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231011134344/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67077617 . live .
  11. News: Sycamore Gap tree: The story so far . 11 October 2023 . BBC News . 5 October 2023 . 11 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231011024809/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729 . live .
  12. Web site: Meet The Man Who Saved Hadrian's Wall. English Heritage. 13 October 2023. 21 August 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020251/https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/meet-man-saved-hadrians-wall/. live.
  13. Web site: Sycamore Gap tree in the UK, remembered in images. 28 September 2023. 28 September 2023. earthsky.org. Kelly Kizer Whitt. 28 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230928213421/https://earthsky.org/earth/sycamore-gap-tree-in-uk-remembered-in-photos/. live.
  14. News: TV crew hurt in air crash . 1 March 2021 . BBC News . 30 May 2003 . 7 October 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20031007015502/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/2951026.stm . live .
  15. News: Star gardener escapes 'copter death . 1 March 2021 . Evening Chronicle . 30 May 2003 . en . 8 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210508235100/https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/star-gardener-escapes-copter-death-1653566 . live .
  16. News: Vinter . Robyn . Halliday . Josh . 28 September 2023 . Boy, 16, arrested after felling of famous Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall . en-GB . The Guardian . 1 October 2023 . 0261-3077 . 1 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231001090119/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arrested-in-connection-with-felling-of-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-hadrians-wall-england . live .
  17. News: World famous Sycamore Gap believed to have been 'deliberately felled' . 28 September 2023 . ITV . 28 September 2023 . 28 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230928213431/https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2023-09-28/world-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-believed-to-have-been-deliberately-felled . live .
  18. News: Smith. Rory. A Tree Was Felled. No One Heard It. How Do You Find Out Who Did It?. https://archive.today/20231007001605/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree.html. 6 October 2023. The New York Times. 14 February 2024. 7 October 2023.
  19. News: Vinter . Robyn . Famous Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall found cut down . The Guardian . 28 September 2023 . 28 September 2023 . 28 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230928183838/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/28/famous-sycamore-gap-tree-at-hadrians-wall-found-apparently-cut-down . live .
  20. News: Arrest after Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall 'deliberately felled' . 28 September 2023 . The Times . Laurence . Sleator . Adam . Vaughan . 28 September 2023 . en . 28 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230928213515/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sycamore-gap-tree-robin-hood-hadrians-wall-qs3jg6scd . live .
  21. News: Sycamore Gap tree: the story so far. Robinson. Chris. BBC News. 13 December 2023. 11 October 2023. 11 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231011180638/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729. live.
  22. News: Man faces no further action over Sycamore Gap damage. BBC News. 13 December 2023.
  23. News: 2024-04-30 . Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree . 2024-04-30 . BBC News . 30 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240430174733/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-68931202 . live .
  24. News: Sycamore Gap: Man pleads not guilty to cutting down tree. 15 May 2024. www.bbc.co.uk. 15 May 2024. 21 August 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020252/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-69011665. live.
  25. News: Second man denies felling famous Sycamore gap tree. BBC. 12 June 2024. 12 June 2024. 12 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240612101333/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0661ndny82o. live.
  26. News: Beloved Tree in England is Felled in 'Act of Vandalism' . Jenny . Gross . New York Times . 2023-09-29. subscription . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240106190336/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree-uk.html . 2024-01-06 . 2024-03-10 .
  27. News: Felled Sycamore Gap tree to be removed by crane . Staff Reporter . 2023-10-11 . Ireland Live . 2024-03-10 . 21 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020254/https://www.ireland-live.ie/news/uk/1320222/felled-sycamore-gap-tree-to-be-removed-by-crane.html . live .
  28. News: Felling of Sycamore Gap tree damaged Hadrian's Wall, inspection reveals . 5 October 2023 . The Guardian . Mark Brown . 5 October 2023 . 21 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020258/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/05/felling-of-sycamore-gap-tree-damaged-hadrians-wall-inspection-reveals . live .
  29. News: Sycamore Gap: Hadrian's Wall damage found after tree cut down . 5 October 2023 . Samantha Jagger . BBC News . 5 October 2023 . 5 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231005114313/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67015699 . live .
  30. News: Sycamore Gap: New life springs from rescued tree . Harriet . Bradshaw . Georgina . Rannard . 8 March 2024 . 9 March 2024 . BBC News .
  31. News: King receives Sycamore Gap tree seedlings. BBC News. Jonny. Manning. Piers. Mucklejohn. 27 May 2024. 27 May 2024. 27 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240527134137/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crggxd098w0o. live.
  32. News: Chappell . Bill . 1 August 2024 . The Sycamore Gap tree is regenerating itself, delighting experts . 1 August 2024 . . 1 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240801134934/https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/nx-s1-5060047/sycamore-gap-tree-regrowth-go-tree-go . live .

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