Sycamore Gap tree: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Photogenic tree in Northumberland, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=OctoberAugust 20232025}}

{{Infobox tree

| name = Sycamore Gap Treetree

| image = Sycamore Gap Tree arbre.jpg

| alt =

| image_caption = View of the tree from the southnorth in October 2020, before it was cut down in 2023. [[Hadrian's Wall]] is visible to the left of and in front of the tree.

| native_name =

| species = Sycamore

| binomial = ''[[Acer pseudoplatanus]]''

| ___location = Near [[Crag Lough]], Northumberland, England

| coordinates = *{{coord|55.00356|N|2.37387|W|type:landmark_region:GB-NBL|display=inline,title}}

*{{gbmappingsmall|NY 761 677}}

| height = approx. {{convert|49|ft|}} (formerly)

| seeded =

| felled = {{End date|2023|09|28|df=y}}

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| website =

}}

The '''Sycamore Gap Treetree''', oralso known as the '''Robin Hood Treetree''', was a 150-year-old [[Acer pseudoplatanus|sycamore tree]] standing next to [[Hadrian's Wall]] near [[Crag Lough]] in [[Northumberland]], England. It was locatedillegally [[felled]] in 2023, but has since sprouted from the stump. Standing in a dramatic dip in the landscape, which was created by glacial [[meltwater]], andit was a popular photographic subject, described as one of the country's most photographed trees in the country and an emblem for the [[North East England|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 [[Tree of the Year (United Kingdom)|2016 England Tree of the Year]] award., Itpart was [[felled]] inof the earlyWoodland morningTrust's ofannual 28competition Septemberthat 2023celebrates inculturally whatand theenvironmentally authoritiessignificant describedtrees asacross "anthe actUK. ofAs vandalism".the Thenational fellingwinner offor England, the Sycamore Gap tree ledreceived toa an£1,000 outpouringcare ofgrant angerfunded andby the People's Postcode sadnessLottery.

The tree was illegally felled in the early morning of 28 September 2023. [[Northumbria Police]] described the felling of the tree as "an act of vandalism". Two men from [[Cumbria]], aged 38 and 31, were arrested in October 2023 and charged in April 2024 with [[Criminal damage in English law|criminal damage]] both to the tree and to the adjacent [[Hadrian's Wall]].<ref name="BBC 2 charged">{{cite news |title=Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-68931202 |access-date=30 April 2024 |work=BBC News |date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=21 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020253/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-68931202 |url-status=live }}</ref> Their trial began on 28 April 2025 at [[Newcastle Crown Court]] and they were found guilty on 9 May. Both men were sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison on 15 July 2025.

The stump has thrown up [[basal shoot]]s and is still alive, albeit severely [[Coppicing|coppiced]]; the tree is expected to take more than 150 years to recover. [[Cutting (plant)|Cuttings]] were also gathered from the tree.<ref name="regrowth"/>

== Location ==

The Sycamore Gap Treetree wasgrew byto a height of approximately {{convert|49|ft|order=flip}},<ref>{{Cite news |last=Freeman |first=Alison |last2=Bedendo |first2=Federica |date=24 September 2024 |title=Sycamore Gap tree trunk section back home a year on |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4yl15eze0o |work=BBC News}}</ref> next to [[Hadrian's Wall]] at grid reference NY 761677, between [[Milecastle 39]] and Crag Lough, about {{convert|2|mi|km|0|abbr=out}} west of [[Housesteads Roman Fort]] in [[Northumberland]], northern England.<ref name=star>{{cite news |title=Famous Hadrian's Wall tree wins national competition |url=http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/Famous-Hadrians-Wall-tree-wins-national-competition-5b8d148a-8eb7-4c4b-9b2d-20e091726817-ds |accessdate=11 July 2018 |work=Carlisle News and Star |date=31 December 2016 |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=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 |url-status=live }}</ref> This section of the wall follows the edge of a cliff{{snd}}an outcrop of the [[Whin Sill]]{{snd}}and several sharp dips in it caused by melting glacial waters.<ref name=itv>{{cite news |title=Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall is 'Tree of the Year' |url=http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2016-12-18/sycamore-gap-on-hadrians-wall-is-tree-of-the-year/ |accessdate=11 July 2018 |work=ITV News |date=18 December 2016 |language=en |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=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/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The tree stood within one of these dips with the cliff and wall rising dramatically either side of it.<ref name=star/> The wall and adjacent land, including the site of the tree, are owned by the [[National Trust]].<ref name=star/> The area was subject to an [[archaeological excavation]] in the mid-1980s during which a pottery dump, dating to around 175AD, was found.<ref name=CA9>{{cite magazine |date=April 1985 |title=Hadrian’s Wall |magazine=Current Archaeology|volume=9 |issue=1|pages=16–19}}</ref>

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]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Nicola |title=Robin Hood tree wins coveted Tree of the Year crown |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/17/robin-hood-tree-wins-coveted-tree-year-crown/ |accessdate=11 July 2018 |work=The Telegraph |date=17 December 2016 |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807125000/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/17/robin-hood-tree-wins-coveted-tree-year-crown/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=chronicle>{{cite news |last1=Henderson |first1=Tony |title=Is Sycamore Gap the most photographed tree in the UK? |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/most-photographed-tree-uk-sure-14297920 |accessdate=11 July 2018 |work=Newcastle Evening Chronicle |date=16 February 2018 |archive-date=27 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227073405/https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/most-photographed-tree-uk-sure-14297920 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="toty">{{cite web |title=The Sycamore Gap Tree |url=https://www.treeoftheyear.org/ETY-2/Stromy/Javor-v-prikrem-udoli.aspx |website=European Tree of the Year |publisher=Environmental Partnership Association |access-date=29 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620070033/https://www.treeoftheyear.org/ETY-2/Stromy/Javor-v-prikrem-udoli.aspx |archive-date=20 June 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It was visible from the nearby [[B6318 Military Road]].<ref name=star/> The name "Sycamore Gap" was coined by a National Trust employee Lawrence Hewer when the [[Ordnance Survey]] were remapping the area and asked if the previously unnamed spot had a designation.<ref name=nt>{{cite web |title=Read about Sycamore Gap |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704003645/https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hadrians-wall-and-housesteads-fort/features/sycamore-gap |archive-date=4 July 2022 |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hadrians-wall-and-housesteads-fort/features/sycamore-gap |website=National Trust |language=en}}</ref>

== History ==

The tree was a non-native sycamore (''[[Acer pseudoplatanus]]'').<ref name=toty/><ref name="BBC66957589">{{cite news |last1=Jagger |first1=Samantha |last2=Dodd |first2=Tim |title=Sycamore Gap: Shoots could regrow from felled tree, says trust |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66957589 |access-date=29 September 2023 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=29 September 2023 |archive-date=29 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929080302/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66957589 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the [[National Trust]], the treeit was planted in the late 19th century by the previous land owner, [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] lawyer [[John Clayton (town clerk)|John Clayton]] (1792–1890) as a landscape feature,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/news/our-statement-on-the-felling-of-the-sycamore-gap-tree|title=Our statement on the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree|date=29 September 2023|access-date=30 September 2023|website=nationaltrust.org.uk|archive-date=30 September 2023|archive-url=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|url-status=live}}</ref> making it about 150 years old.<ref name="BBC67077617">{{cite news |title=Sycamore Gap tree to be cut up and moved by crane |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67077617 |access-date=11 October 2023 |work=BBC News |date=11 October 2023 |archive-date=11 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011134344/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67077617 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BBC66994729">{{cite news |title=Sycamore Gap tree: The story so far |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729 |access-date=11 October 2023 |work=BBC News |date=5 October 2023 |archive-date=11 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011024809/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729 |url-status=live }}</ref> It's possible that the tree is somewhat older.<ref name=Crow /> [[John Hodgson (antiquary)|John Hodgson]] sketched a tree in the gap on 18 October 1832 and an enclosure around the tree appears on Ordnance Survey maps by the 1860s.<ref name=Crow>{{cite web |last=Crow |first=Jim |date=31 October 2023 |title=The tale of a tree: An archaeological history of Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall |url=https://the-past.com/feature/the-tale-of-a-tree-an-archaeological-history-of-sycamore-gap/ |website=The Past |publisher=The Past Ltd |access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref> Clayton was part of a wealthy family and he inherited the Roman [[Chesters Roman Fort|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’sHadrian'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 {{convert|20 miles|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} of Hadrian’sHadrian's Wall. By purchasing these sites he brought them under his protection.<ref>[{{Cite web|url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/meet-man-saved-hadrians-wall/ |title=Meet theThe manMan whoWho savedSaved Hadrian's Wall]|website=English Heritage|access-date=13 October 2023|archive-date=21 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020251/https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/meet-man-saved-hadrians-wall/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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 Treetree" -, although in reality it was some {{convert|170 miles (273 |mi|km)|0|abbr=off}} from [[Sherwood Forest]].<ref name=chronicle/><ref name=toty/> 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 shownregularly oftenshown on the British TV seriesprogramme ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' in 1991.<ref name=star/> The It hastree also appeared in the TV crime drama ''[[Vera (TV series)|Vera]]'' and in the documentary series ''[[More Tales from Northumberland with Robson Green]]''.<ref name=nt/> The site was popular among [[astrophotography|astrophotographers]] and [[stargazing|stargazers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://earthsky.org/earth/sycamore-gap-tree-in-uk-remembered-in-photos/|title=Sycamore Gap tree in the UK, remembered in images|date=28 September 2023|access-date=28 September 2023|website=earthsky.org|author=Kelly Kizer Whitt|archive-date=28 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928213421/https://earthsky.org/earth/sycamore-gap-tree-in-uk-remembered-in-photos/|url-status=live}}</ref> The tree escaped damage on 30 May 2003 when a helicopter filming ''[[British Isles – A Natural History]]'' crashed around {{convert|30|m|ft|-1|abbr=off}} away, narrowly avoiding presenter [[Alan Titchmarsh]]. The four on board the aircraft were lightly injured.<ref>{{cite news |title=TV crew hurt in air crash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/2951026.stm |access-date=1 March 2021 |work=BBC News |date=30 May 2003 |archive-date=7 October 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031007015502/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/2951026.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Star gardener escapes 'copter death |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/star-gardener-escapes-copter-death-1653566 |access-date=1 March 2021 |work=Evening Chronicle |date=30 May 2003 |language=en |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508235100/https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/star-gardener-escapes-copter-death-1653566 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016, the tree was nominated for [[Tree of the Year (United Kingdom)|England's Tree of the Year competition]].<ref name=chronicle/> It was selected from 200 competitors for the final shortlist of 10 and won the competition with 2,542 votes out of 11,913.<ref name=itv/> 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.<ref name=star/> 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.<ref name=star/><ref name=toty/>

== Felling and investigation==

[[Image:FelledSycamoreTree.jpg|thumb|The tree two days after it was felled]]

The tree was [[felled]] in the early morning of 28 September 2023. Locals hearddid nothingnot due tohear the felling because of high winds caused by [[Storm Agnes]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |last1=Vinter |first1=Robyn |last2=Halliday |first2=Josh |date=28 September 2023 |title=Boy, 16, arrested after felling of famous Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arrested-in-connection-with-felling-of-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-hadrians-wall-england |access-date=1 October 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=1 October 2023 |archive-url=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 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Northumberland National Park]] Authority said they believed it was done deliberately.<ref name="felled">{{cite news |title=World famous Sycamore Gap believed to have been 'deliberately felled' |url=https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2023-09-28/world-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-believed-to-have-been-deliberately-felled |access-date=28 September 2023 |publisherwork=ITV News |date=28 September 2023 |archive-date=28 September 2023 |archive-url=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 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Northumbria Police]] described the felling of the tree as "a deliberate act of vandalism".<ref name=NYTOct23>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Rory |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231007001605/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree.html |title=A Tree Was Felled. No One Heard It. How Do You Find Out Who Did It? |date=6 October 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=14 February 2024 |archivedate=7 October 2023}}</ref> The tree appeared to have been cut down with a [[chainsaw]], at the base of its trunk,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vinter |first1=Robyn |title=Famous Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall found cut down |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/28/famous-sycamore-gap-tree-at-hadrians-wall-found-apparently-cut-down |work=The Guardian |date=28 September 2023 |access-date=28 September 2023 |archive-date=28 September 2023 |archive-url=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 |url-status=live }}</ref> with a white line spray painted on it just below the cut.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arrest after Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall 'deliberately felled' |url=https://www.thetimes.co.ukcom/article/sycamore-gap-tree-robin-hood-hadrians-wall-qs3jg6scd |access-date=28 September 2023 |work=[[The Times]] |first1=Laurence |last1=Sleator |first2=Adam |last2=Vaughan |date=28 September 2023 |language=en |archive-date=28 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928213515/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sycamore-gap-tree-robin-hood-hadrians-wall-qs3jg6scd |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last1name=Vinter |first1=Robyn |last2=Halliday |first2=Josh |date=28 September 2023 |title=Boy, 16, arrested after felling of famous Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https:"auto"//www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arrested-in-connection-with-felling-of-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-hadrians-wall-england |access-date=1 October 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=1 October 2023 |archive-url=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 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Arrests and trial===

[[Northumbria Police]] arrested a 16-year-old boy and three men in connection with the tree's felling. The force have since confirmd that no further action will be taken against the boy and one of the men; the other two men, both in their 30s, remain on bail.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sycamore Gap tree: the story so far|last=Robinson|first=Chris|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729|publisher=BBC News|date=13 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Man faces no further action over Sycamore Gap damage|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72yn4de2n0o|publisher=BBC News|date=13 December 2023}}</ref>

Northumbria Police arrested a 16-year-old boy and a man in his 60s in connection with the tree's felling, and later arrested two men in their 30s from [[Cumbria]]. The force later indicated no further action would be taken against the boy and the man in his 60s, while the other two men remained on bail,<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|title=Sycamore Gap tree: the story so far|last=Robinson|first=Chris|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729 |work=BBC News |date=13 December 2023|access-date=11 October 2023|archive-date=11 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011180638/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Man faces no further action over Sycamore Gap damage|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72yn4de2n0o |work=BBC News |date=13 December 2023}}</ref> and in April 2024 Daniel Graham, who ran a groundwork business near [[Carlisle]], and Adam Carruthers, a mechanic living in a caravan in [[Kirkbride, Cumbria|Kirkbride]], were charged with [[Criminal damage in English law|criminal damage]] to the tree and to Hadrian's Wall.<ref name="BBC 2 charged"/><ref name="brown">{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Mark |date=9 May 2025 |title=Two men found guilty of felling Sycamore Gap tree |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/09/two-men-found-guilty-of-felling-sycamore-gap-tree |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250509100120/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/09/two-men-found-guilty-of-felling-sycamore-gap-tree |archive-date=9 May 2025 |access-date=9 May 2025 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

On 15 May 2024 the two men appeared at [[Newcastle Crown Court]]. One entered pleas of not guilty to both charges and the second did not enter a plea.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-69011665|title=Sycamore Gap: Man pleads not guilty to cutting down tree|date=15 May 2024 |work=BBC News |access-date=15 May 2024|archive-date=21 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020252/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-69011665|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2024 the second man entered two not guilty pleas. Both men were released on bail. The trial began on 28 April 2025 before [[Christina Lambert|Mrs Justice Lambert]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25121113.trial-sycamore-gap-tree-begins-newcastle-crown-court/|title=Jury selected in trial of two men accused of felling Sycamore Gap tree|date=28 April 2025|website=The Northern Echo}}</ref><ref name="BBC cvg93k0950pt 0429 1023">{{cite news |title=Sycamore Gap tree felling trial under way – How the jury was selected| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvg93k0950pt?post=asset%3Aa7e38f12-abb4-473e-8118-eae0e2ec0bf3#post |access-date=29 April 2025 |work=BBC News |date=29 April 2025}}</ref> The prosecution's case opened on 29 April.<ref name="BBC cvg93k0950pt 0429 1034">{{cite news |title=Sycamore Gap tree felling trial under way – The prosecution begins| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvg93k0950pt?post=asset%3A76f042eb-b106-4de0-80a7-ee2ab2965a0e#post |access-date=29 April 2025 |work=BBC News |date=29 April 2025}}</ref> The men were charged with causing £622,191 worth of criminal damage to the tree and of causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian's Wall.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0661ndny82o |work=BBC News |title=Second man denies felling famous Sycamore gap tree|date=12 June 2024|access-date=12 June 2024|archive-date=12 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612101333/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0661ndny82o|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Date set for Sycamore Gap tree felling trial |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg0dyk9mvno |access-date=11 March 2025 |work=BBC News |date=10 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250210165356/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg0dyk9mvno |archive-date=10 February 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> The trial was shown footage, purportedly filmed by one of the defendants on a mobile phone, showing the other felling the tree using a chainsaw. The two men were also accused of keeping a wedge of the trunk as a trophy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/sycamore-gap-tree-trial-daniel-graham-adam-carruthers-b2741596.html|title=Friends filmed themselves chopping down Sycamore Gap tree, jury told|date=29 April 2025|website=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/sycamore-gap-tree-video-trial-b2742242.html|title=Watch: Sycamore Gap video footage of 'tree being chopped down'|date=30 April 2025|website=The Independent}}</ref> On the fourth day of the trial, prosecutors said the two accused men had driven from [[Carlisle]] overnight, during Storm Agnes, to the tree. The court had already been told that the men sometimes worked together and had experience felling large trees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/sycamore-gap-tree-trophy-court-trial-b2743951.html |title=Sycamore Gap tree suspect thought it would be 'good trophy', court told |date=2 May 2025 |website=The Independent |access-date=4 May 2025}}</ref> On 9 May, the jury found both men guilty after 5 hours of deliberation. They were both sentenced on 15 July to 4 years and 3 months in prison, to run concurrently with a 6-month sentence for the damage caused to Hadrian's Wall. They were told that they would be released no later than 40% of the way through their sentence and that the time they had already served on [[Remand (detention)|remand]] would also be deducted.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sycamore Gap tree: Live updates from sentencing |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/clymgm1v43vt |date=15 July 2025 |access-date=15 July 2025 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

The destruction of the iconic tree led to an outpouring of anger and sadness. Over the decades the iconic tree had become the backdrop for marriage proposals, weddings or spreading ashes of loved ones. The National Trust's regional director for the North of England, said: "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."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree-uk.html Beloved Tree in England Is Felled in 'Act of Vandalism'], nytimes.com, 29 September 2023</ref><ref>https://www.ireland-live.ie/news/uk/1320222/felled-sycamore-gap-tree-to-be-removed-by-crane.html</ref>

==Aftermath==

On 29 September, a National Trust manager said that the stump seemed "healthy" and thought that the tree could possibly regrow in [[coppice]]d 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".<ref name=BBC66957589/> Seeds were collected from the tree which are to be used to propagate new [[sapling]]s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sycamore Gap tree: the story so far|last=Robinson|first=Chris|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729|publisher=BBC News|date=13 December 2023}}</ref>

The destruction of the tree led to 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:<ref>{{cite news |title=Beloved Tree in England is Felled in 'Act of Vandalism' |first=Jenny |last=Gross |work=The New York Times |date=29 September 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree-uk.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106190336/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree-uk.html |archive-date=6 January 2024 |access-date=10 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Felled Sycamore Gap tree to be removed by crane |author=Staff Reporter |date=11 October 2023 |work=Ireland Live |url=https://www.ireland-live.ie/news/uk/1320222/felled-sycamore-gap-tree-to-be-removed-by-crane.html |access-date=10 March 2024 |archive-date=21 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020254/https://www.ireland-live.ie/news/uk/1320222/felled-sycamore-gap-tree-to-be-removed-by-crane.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{blockquote |text=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 2023, a National Trust manager said that the stump seemed "healthy" and thought that the tree could possibly regrow in [[coppice]]d 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".<ref name=BBC66957589/> Seeds were collected from the tree which are to be used to propagate new [[sapling]]s.<ref>{{cite news|titlename=Sycamore Gap tree: the story so far|last=Robinson|first=Chris|url=https:"auto1"//www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66994729|publisher=BBC News|date=13 December 2023}}</ref>

A preliminary inspection of Hadrian's Wall by [[Historic England]] revealed "some damage".<ref >{{Cite news |title=Felling of Sycamore Gap tree damaged Hadrian’s Wall, inspection reveals |date=5 October 2023 |newspaper=The Guardian |author=Mark Brown |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/05/felling-of-sycamore-gap-tree-damaged-hadrians-wall-inspection-reveals}}</ref><ref >{{Cite news |title=Sycamore Gap: Hadrian's Wall damage found after tree cut down |date=5 October 2023 |author=Samantha Jagger |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67015699}}</ref> The felled tree was cut up and removed by crane for storage on National Trust property.<ref name=BBC67077617/>

A preliminary inspection of Hadrian's Wall by [[Historic England]] revealed "some damage".<ref >{{Cite news |title=Felling of Sycamore Gap tree damaged Hadrian’sHadrian's Wall, inspection reveals |date=5 October 2023 |newspaperwork=The Guardian |author=Mark Brown |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/05/felling-of-sycamore-gap-tree-damaged-hadrians-wall-inspection-reveals |access-date=5 October 2023 |archive-date=21 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821020258/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/05/felling-of-sycamore-gap-tree-damaged-hadrians-wall-inspection-reveals |url-status=live }}</ref><ref >{{Cite news |title=Sycamore Gap: Hadrian's Wall damage found after tree cut down |date=5 October 2023 |author=Samantha Jagger |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67015699 |access-date=5 October 2023 |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005114313/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67015699 |url-status=live }}</ref> The felled tree was cut up and removed by crane for storage on National Trust property.<ref name=BBC67077617/>

On 8 March 2024, [[BBC News]] reported that the first [[seedlings]] had sprouted from genetic material recovered at the site.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68497720 |title=Sycamore Gap: New life springs from rescued tree |first1=Harriet |last1=Bradshaw |first2=Georgina |last2=Rannard |date=8 March 2024 |accessdate=9 March 2024 |work=BBC News }}</ref> The first seedling was presented to [[King Charles III]] who announced that it would be planted in [[Windsor Great Park]] once it had matured into a [[sapling]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crggxd098w0o|title=King receives Sycamore Gap tree seedlings |work=BBC News |first1=Jonny|last1=Manning|first2=Piers|last2=Mucklejohn|date=27 May 2024|access-date=27 May 2024|archive-date=27 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527134137/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crggxd098w0o|url-status=live}}</ref> Further seeds from the site are being grown into saplings by the National Trust that will be distributed to the school nearest the site and the UK's [[National parks of the United Kingdom|National Parks]] as well as a number of good causes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Mark |date=9 May 2025 |title='Stealing joy': the sadness and symbolism of the crime at Sycamore Gap |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/09/stealing-joy-the-sadness-and-symbolism-of-the-at-sycamore-gap |access-date=9 May 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In August 2024, it was found that new shoots had appeared at the base of the stump.<ref name="regrowth">{{cite news |last=Chappell |first=Bill |date=1 August 2024 |title=The Sycamore Gap tree is regenerating itself, delighting experts |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/nx-s1-5060047/sycamore-gap-tree-regrowth-go-tree-go |access-date=1 August 2024 |work=[[NPR]] |archive-date=1 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801134934/https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/nx-s1-5060047/sycamore-gap-tree-regrowth-go-tree-go |url-status=live }}</ref>

An art exhibition was commissioned using part of the tree's trunk. The initial stage was in 2024 at The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre at [[Bardon Mill]] in the Northumberland National Park.<ref name="Art-exhibit">{{cite web |title=Sycamore Gap: One Year On exhibition |url=https://www.thesill.org.uk/exhibition/sycamore-gap-one-year-on-exhibition/ |website=SILL National Landscape Discovery Centre |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Mark |date=27 September 2024 |title=Sycamore Gap tree exhibition opens to mark a year since its felling |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/27/sycamore-gap-tree-exhibition-opens-to-mark-a-year-since-its-felling? |access-date=10 May 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

The tree appears, in a digital recreation, in the 2025 post-apocalyptic coming-of-age horror film ''[[28 Years Later]]''. Director [[Danny Boyle]] said he hoped it would be "a wonderful tribute" to Northumberland's iconic tree.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.sky.com/story/director-danny-boyle-on-how-28-years-later-could-be-seen-as-an-allegory-for-brexit-13385818 |title=Director Danny Boyle on how 28 Years Later could be seen as an allegory for Brexit |website=Sky News |date=20 June 2025 |last=Spencer |first=Katie |access-date=6 July 2025}}</ref>

== Gallery ==

<gallery mode="packed" heights="290px">

Image:Sycamore_Gap_Tree.jpg|Sycamore Gap panorama

Image:Sycamore Gap 2007.jpg|View looking west from the north side of Hadrian's Wall

Image: 2018-06-07 Sycamore Gap Tree (Acer pseudoplatanus), next to Hadrian’s Wall UK.jpg|The tree in summer 2018

Image:Sycamore Gap Tree by night.jpg|Astrophotography at the Sycamore Gap

</gallery>

== See also ==

* [[List of individual trees]]

* [[Heritage tree]]

== References ==

{{Commons cat|Sycamore Gap}}

{{-}}

{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==

{{Commons catcategory|Sycamore Gap}}

*{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Rory |date=6 October 2023 |title=A Tree Was Felled. No One Heard It. How Do You Find Out Who Did It? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree.html |access-date=6 October 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231007001605/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/06/world/europe/sycamore-gap-tree.html |archive-date=7 October 2023 |url-access=subscription}}

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[[Category:Destroyed individual trees]]

[[Category:Hadrian's Wall]]

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[[Category:Tourist attractions in Northumberland]]

[[Category:2020s individual tree deaths]]

[[Category:2023 in England]]

[[Category:Natural monuments of the United Kingdom]]