Everything we know one year on from the Sycamore Gap tree felling

Northumberland Correspondent Tom Barton reports.

On 28 September 2023, people around the world woke up to a sight that left them shocked and saddened.

The landmark Sycamore Gap tree, which stood in a dip along Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland for hundreds of years, had been cut down.

One year on, ITV Tyne Tees takes a look back at what has happened in the 12 months since its felling.

Thursday 28 September 2023

Northumberland National Park Authority confirmed the tree had been cut down. In a statement, a spokesperson said: "Northumberland National Park Authority can confirm that sadly, the famous tree at Sycamore Gap has come down overnight."

Northumbria Police immediately launched an investigation into the felling of the tree. Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is an incredibly sad day. The tree was iconic to the North East and enjoyed by so many who live in or who have visited this region.

"As a Force, we are fully committed to finding out the full circumstances and we will consider every tactic at our disposal in this investigation."

Sycamore Gap is the name of a site along Hadrian's Wall where a single sycamore tree once stood. Credit: PA

The news led to a huge public outcry with the world's media reporting on the incident and people sharing their photographs and memories of the landmark, tagging #SycamoreGap on social media.

Over the years, the location of the tree became personal to many people, becoming a hotspot for proposals, stargazers and walkers alike. Hundreds got in touch with ITV Tyne Tees to share their memories of the site over the years.

Within hours of its felling, the once iconic tree had been renamed Sycamore Stump on some online sites.

Why is Sycamore Gap so significant?

The tree itself dates back hundreds of years. The site around the tree was excavated on two occasions - between 1908 and 1911 and again between 1982 and 1987 - where Roman remains linked to Hadrian's wall were found.

In 1991, Sycamore Gap provided a setting for the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which starred Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman.

In 2016, it was named England Tree of the Year in the Woodland Trust’s awards, and the site has formed part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Hadrian's Wall since it was designated in 1987.

Sycamore Gap provided a setting for the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991. Credit: PA

The police investigation

Northumbria Police immediately launched an investigation into the circumstances of the felling.

On 30 April 2024, two men in their 30s from Cumbria were charged with criminal damage of the tree and criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall.

They have both denied the charges and a trial is expected to take place in December.

The felling of the Sycamore provoked a nationwide outpouring of emotion Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA

What is happening to the tree now?

The tree was removed from the site leaving a stump behind in October 2023.

Seeds and twigs that were rescued from the tree were taken to the National Trust where they worked to grow new saplings.

One of the new saplings grown at a top-secret National Trust facility in Devon has been given to King Charles and will be planted in Windsor.

In March 2024, conservationists confirmed that at a collection of small seedlings were beginning to "spring into life".

Meanwhile, in August 2024, a park ranger in Northumberland noticed eight shoots growing from the stump that remained at the Sycamore Gap site when he was doing routine checks in the area.

Gary Pickles, ranger for Northumberland National Park, said: "I’ve done this walk several times over the last year, but this time it was different, there was something new – the trunk was showing signs of regeneration.

"I was first at the scene when the tree was discovered felled, and I remember saying hurriedly that it was gone. Now, I hope I can say that it’s back."

Cuttings of the trunk of the tree have now been commemorated in the form of artwork. Prints have been created from a section of the heart-shaped trunk and displayed at four different sites along Hadrian's Wall between Newcastle and Carlisle.

Heartwood is a series of prints made using a section of the tree's trunk. Credit: National Trust Images/The House of Hues

One year on

A year later, admirers of the tree are still upset about what happened, but are heartened by the signs of growth.

ITV Tyne Tees spoke to walkers who visited the tree this week. Reflecting on the last year, one woman said: "It was indescribably awful. I actually cried. It just was unbelievable. Why would anybody do that? It's bizarre, it's wanton vandalism. It really, really has made me very angry."

She added: "It's only the little shoots that are growing on that tree that are keeping me from being really upset and angry."

Another woman added: "I think it's really sad. I think it's still a really iconic place to visit. I'm glad that we've had the opportunity to come here and see the stump. It's fantastic seeing the new growth that's coming through. Obviously we would've liked to have come when the tree was still here."

At The Sill visitor centre in Northumberland, artist Charlie Whinney has created a piece for an exhibition made out of a large piece of the tree itself.

The exhibit is opening to mark the one year anniversary of the felling on 28 September.

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