Sycamore Gap tree – latest: Man in 60s released on bail as police find chainsaw

The police have seized a large chainsaw as they searched a barn closeby to where the Sycamore Gap tree stood.

Officers searched Plankey Mill farm, a property inhabited until recently by Walter Renwick, 69, who has taken to social media to vehemently deny his involvement in the cutting down the tree.

The retired lumberjack said to have been arrested over the felling of the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree has insisted to the Sun: “I didn’t do it.”

Speculation over what happened to the iconic tree has been rife since it was found next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland having been chopped down overnight on Wednesday.

Mr Renwick reportedly owned the land until a few weeks ago when he lost a legal battle with the landowners, The Jesuits in Britain.

A man in his sixties was arrested by Northumbria Police on Friday. A teenager was also arrested but released on bail.

His daughter-in-law Lauren told The Times. She said: “He’s in custody right now [in Newcastle police station] for something he hasn’t even done. He’s got two leaking heart valves. He’s never fit enough to get up there.”

Key Points

• Retired lumberjack ‘arrested over felling' insists he ‘didn’t do it’

• Man in his 60s arrested following felling of Sycamore Gap tree

• Tree’s destruction ‘part of the broader war on nature'

• Hairy Bikers say Sycamore Gap tree culprit ‘murdered spirit of Northumberland’

• Crowdfunding page raises more than £1,700 for rejuvenation of Sycamore Gap

• New shoots expected to grow from Sycamore Gap tree but it ‘won’t be the same again'

Man in 60s bailed in Sycamore Gap investigation

09:45 , Barney Davis

Police have released an arrested man, in his 60s, on bail after the Sycamore Gap tree was felled.

Northumbria Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on Friday and was released on bail pending further inquiries.

A relative posted a picture of the lumberjack at home with his grandson as they denied his involvement in the felling.

The force said the investigation remains ongoing.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “A male in his 60s was arrested in connection with the incident. He has since been released on police bail, pending further enquiries.”

A boy, 16, who was also arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on Thursday was later released on bail.

11:46 , Barney Davis

A chainsaw has been recovered from the farm of a man released on bail in connection with the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree.

Police search teams took away a chainsaw in an evidence bag from a barn on Plankey Mill Farm in Northumberland which is taped off after they arrested a second man.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “A male in his 60s was arrested in connection with the incident. He has since been released on police bail, pending further enquiries.”

A boy, 16, who was also arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on Thursday was later released on bail.

Family of bailed retired lumberjack angered by arrest

11:09 , Barney Davis

The family of a now bailed lumberjack accused of chopping the Sycamore Gap tree down have strongly refuted it was him as he has two heart valves.

Walter Renwick, 69, who was arrested in connection with criminal damage after the tree was bailed has been bailed and declared his innocence as he returned home to a farm where police found a large chainsaw.

When he was in custody, his daughter-in-law Lauren said he was there for something he ‘hasn’t even done’.

“He’s got two leaking heart valves. He’s never fit enough to get up there,” she told the Times. “He’s down here living like f***ing Bear Grylls.”

He was seen by reporters returning to his stone property that he was evicted from in recent weeks.

Gemma Collins mourns loss of Sycamore Gap tree

09:04 , Barney Davis

Reality queen Gemma Collins has said she has been mourning the loss of Sycamore Gap all weekend, in a heartbreaking Instagram post.

The GC wrote: “Today my post is for the SYCAMORE GAP. I was extremely shocked and saddened all weekend to think this tree was destroyed in a senseless act …. I thought about the tree all weekend and was very upset.

“If we do not respect nature now we will suffer in years to come.”

The almost 300-year-old sycamore was chopped down overnight on Wednesday in “a deliberate act of vandalism”, sparking a police investigation.

Young sapling planted at Sycamore Gap site removed by National Trust

08:11 , Barney Davis

A man who planted a sapling where the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down to “give people hope” has spoken of his devastation after it was removed by the National Trust.

The National Trust dug up the young tree brought by 27-year-old Kieran Chapman from a local garden centre and planted metres away from the tragic stump.

Speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle, he said he planted the tree to “restore people’s faith in humanity, bring a smile back to people’s faces and just give them a bit of hope.”

A National Trust spokesperson said moved to deter other would-be planters. They said: “We understand the strength of feeling following the events at Sycamore Gap this week – and are grateful for the many offers of support and good wishes we’ve received from near and far. It’s important for everyone to remember that the site is a scheduled ancient monument and a globally important archaeological setting, with Unesco world heritage designation, and that altering or adding to it can damage the archaeology, and is unlawful without prior consent from government.”

Nearly £5,000 raised to rejuvenate Sycamore Gap

06:00 , Lydia Patrick

Fundraisers have raised £4,220 to help restore and rejuvenate the area where the Sycamore Gap stood.

Alncom's fundraiser for National Trust

In pictures - The Sycamore Gap tree

05:00 , Lydia Patrick

‘Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back'

04:00 , Lydia Patrick

“Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does,” is the devastating verdict of experts on the iconic Sycamore Gap tree after it was felled.

With police believing it to be a deliberate act of vandalism, the chainsaw-cutting down of the world-famous tree next to Hadrian’s Wall, in Northumberland, has triggered widespread outrage and sorrow.

Northumbria Police launched an investigation on Thursday after the majestic Sycamore Gap tree, thought to be around 300 years old, was cut down overnight. The force arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the incident but has since released him on bail.

A man in his sixties was arrested on Friday evening. He remains in police custody.

Read the full story here

Sycamore Gap: ‘Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does’

Watch - Hairy Biker shares his fury

03:00 , Lydia Patrick

‘I wrote The Secret Life of Trees – here’s why the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree was so significant'

02:00 , Lydia Patrick

Author Colin Tudge explores why the felling of the tree could mark a shift in collective mindset

I’m a tree expert – here’s how the Sycamore Gap tree ‘felt’ as it fell | Colin Tudge

What happened to the Sycamore Gap tree?

01:00 , Lydia Patrick

Watch - the site where the tree was culled

Monday 2 October 2023 00:00 , Lydia Patrick

Can the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?

Sunday 1 October 2023 23:00 , Lydia Patrick

Striking a note of optimism after the iconic Sycamore Gap tree was felled, experts have suggested it could be saved.

In an incident that caused widespread outrage and upset, the world-famous tree, next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, was chopped down overnight on Wednesday.

However, all hope is not lost, according to Andrew Poad of the National Trust, who pointed to the health of the ancient Sycamore Gap, which is thought to be around 300 years old, as giving reason to believe the tree could regrow.

Read the full story here

Can the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?

Important new update in tree felling investigation

Sunday 1 October 2023 22:00 , Lydia Patrick

Northumbria Police recovered a ‘massive chainsaw’ from a farm eight miles away from the site where the Sycamore Gap stood, report the Mail.

The power tool was seized from Plankey Mill farm as police searched the home of ex lumberjack, Walter Renwick, 69, who has taken to social media to vehemently deny his involvement in the destruction of the tree.

A renewed sense of gratitude for trees

Sunday 1 October 2023 21:00 , Lydia Patrick

As mourners share tributes to the fallen Sycamore Gap tree, people are expressing their admiration for other natural leafy landmarks.

National Trust says tree will regrow ‘as multiple stems’ in less ‘dramatic’ way

Sunday 1 October 2023 20:00 , Tara Cobham

The Sycamore Gap tree will regrow “as multiple stems” and will therefore not have “the same dramatic effect” as the original, the National Trust has said.

In a post on Twitter, it wrote: “[The Sycamore Gap tree] will however grow as multiple stems, rather than a single stem tree. 

“This will obviously maintain the legacy of the original tree, but unfortunately it won’t have the same dramatic effect in the landscape as the original.”

In pictures: The majesty of the Sycamore Gap tree

Sunday 1 October 2023 19:00 , Tara Cobham

The Sycamore Gap tree that stood tall for 300 years - in pictures

‘Trees are at threat across the country,’ says expert

Sunday 1 October 2023 18:00 , Tara Cobham

Tree vandalism happens frequently across the country, according to the chief executive officer at The Arboricultural Association.

In the aftermath of the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, John Parker told The Independent: “This is a very notable and public example of what we’re dealing with all of the time, the damage that can be inflicted by someone in a relatively short space of time after decades of care. Trees are at threat across the country.”

Watch: GB News host says Sycamore Gap is ‘just a tree’

Sunday 1 October 2023 17:00 , Tara Cobham

‘Minutes to cut down and centuries if it grows back,' say experts

Sunday 1 October 2023 16:02 , Tara Cobham

“Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does,” is the devastating verdict of experts on the iconic Sycamore Gap tree after it was felled.

With police believing it to be a deliberate act of vandalism, the chainsaw-cutting down of the world-famous tree next to Hadrian’s Wall, in Northumberland, has triggered widespread outrage and sorrow.

Northumbria Police launched an investigation on Thursday after the majestic Sycamore Gap tree, thought to be around 300 years old, was cut down overnight. The force arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the incident but has since released him on bail.

A man in his sixties was arrested on Friday evening. He remains in police custody.

As the force’s inquiries continued on Friday, questions remained over the ancient tree’s felling and future.

Read more:

Sycamore Gap: ‘Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does’

Police yet to issue update after man arrested

Sunday 1 October 2023 14:36 , Tara Cobham

Northumbria Police are yet to issue an update after the force arrested a man in his 60s on Friday following the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree.

A teenager who was also arrested in connection with the incident was released on bail on Friday.

Robin Hood actor tells of heartbreak but faith Sycamore Gap ‘will survive’

Sunday 1 October 2023 14:14 , Tara Cobham

Robin Hood actor Brian Blessed has told of his heartbreak over the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree but faith that “it will survive”.

The 86-year-old former president of the Council for National Parks said the destruction of the tree, which featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Price of Thieves, was “beyond comprehension”.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said of the “deeply honoured” Sycamore Gap: “It will survive and it will be very bushy.”

The actor, who starred in the film as Robin Hood’s father Lord Locksley, also suggested park bosses plant another tree. “You know, give it company and plant another tree a good 200 yards or 300 yards to keep it company,” he said. “It will talk to it, it will help it.”

Telling of how “heartbroken” he is at the loss of Sycamore Gap, he added: “There was a wonderful Sycamore tree... they’re wonderful with their big leaves and someone has cut it down.

“People have gone there and it brought joy to them, people have left their ashes there when they’ve died, they’ve got married there, and all kinds of lovely events have taken place.”

Watch: Nature expert calls for ‘sycamore gap forest’

Sunday 1 October 2023 14:01 , Tara Cobham

National Trust urges people to not visit Sycamore Gap

Sunday 1 October 2023 12:10 , Tara Cobham

The National Trust has urged people to not visit the Sycamore Gap tree.

In a statement, it said the site is now closed to visitors and added: “We ask that people keep away from the site at this current time while we fully assess the fallen tree and can do the work needed to make it safe.”

Author of The Secret Life of Trees on Sycamore Gap felling

Sunday 1 October 2023 11:13 , Tara Cobham

Maybe good can come from the apparently senseless or downright malicious felling of the beautiful sycamore tree that for at least 300 years stood at the centre of the Northumberland Gap. Maybe its destruction will serve as a pivotal moment, when people born and brought up in this ultra-materialist, ultra-competitive, exclusively anthropocentric age finally undergo the mind shift that’s needed if we, humanity, are ever going to save what’s left of the natural world, and live in harmony with our fellow creatures.

If we changed our attitude then we, humanity, could realistically be looking forward to the next million years, for starters. That we are now staring Armageddon in the face is not only tragic. It is absurd. We can learn much of what we need to know from trees – far more and of far greater profundity than we ever can from politicians and their think tanks of lawyers and financiers who set the tone of modern society and run our lives.

Read more:

I’m a tree expert – here’s how the Sycamore Gap tree ‘felt’ as it fell | Colin Tudge

Retired lumberjack ‘arrested over felling' insists he ‘didn’t do it’

Sunday 1 October 2023 09:46 , Tara Cobham

A retired lumberjack said to have been arrested over the felling of the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree has insisted he “didn’t do it”.

Speculation over what happened to the iconic tree has been rife since it was found next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland having been chopped down overnight on Wednesday.

Northumbria Police began searching the farm of former lumberjack Walter Renwick, 69, on Friday night, according to The Times.

The pensioner’s daughter-in-law Lauren identified him as the man in his sixties who was arrested by police on Friday, saying: “He’s in custody right now [in Newcastle police station] for something he hasn’t even done. He’s got two leaking heart valves. He’s never fit enough to get up there.”

The 69-year-old himself has denied locals’ and online accusations that he was behind the tree’s cutting down.

Mr Renwick told The Sun he understood why there were rumours circulating about him, citing the nature of his former job and his recent eviction from his property, but he insisted: “I didn’t do it.”

Experts say new shoots expected to grow but tree will never be same again

Sunday 1 October 2023 07:57 , Tara Cobham

Experts have said new shoots are expected to grow from the tree but it will never be the same again.

National Trust general manager Andrew Poad told BBC Breakfast the stump was “healthy” and staff might be able to coppice the tree, a technique allowing new shoots to grow from the base of a trunk.

Rob Ternent, head gardener at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, said the tree will start growing again but “won’t ever be the same shape or as good of a tree as it was”.

He said: “It’s worth a try but I think livestock and wildlife will potentially damage it as well. It’ll be very difficult to get it back to the original tree.

“The growing season’s coming to an end now but by spring next year it will have some life in it. It’ll probably be about eight foot tall, but it’ll be lots of singular branches, more bushy.

“It was about 300 years old so it’ll take a long time to get back to that size. It’s a massive shame.”

Hairy Biker hits out at tree vandal

Sunday 1 October 2023 06:22 , Lydia Patrick

Hairy Biker Si King has shared his outrage with the vandal, describing the act as a ‘murder’.

Can the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?

Sunday 1 October 2023 04:22 , Lydia Patrick

Striking a note of optimism after the iconic Sycamore Gap tree was felled, experts have suggested it could be saved.

In an incident that caused widespread outrage and upset, the world-famous tree, next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, was chopped down overnight on Wednesday.

However, all hope is not lost, according to Andrew Poad of the National Trust, who pointed to the health of the ancient Sycamore Gap, which is thought to be around 300 years old, as giving reason to believe the tree could regrow.

Tara Cobham has the whole story here

Can the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?

Watch - Sycamore Gap: Iconic tree seen lying next to Hadrian’s Wall after being ‘felled by vandals’

Sunday 1 October 2023 03:22 , Lydia Patrick

Sycamore Gap: Iconic tree seen lying next to Hadrian’s Wall after being ‘felled’

‘It won’t be same again’

Sunday 1 October 2023 02:22 , Lydia Patrick

National Trust general manager Andrew Poad told BBC Breakfast the stump was “healthy” and staff might be able to coppice the tree, a technique allowing new shoots to grow from the base of a trunk.

He said: “It’s a very healthy tree, we can see that now, because of the condition of the stump, it may well regrow a coppice from the stump, and if we could nurture that then that might be one of the best outcomes, and then we keep the tree.”

Rob Ternent, head gardener at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, said the tree will start growing again but “won’t ever be the same shape or as good of a tree as it was”.

Read the full story here

New shoots expected to grow from Sycamore Gap tree but it ‘won’t be same again’

History of the Sycamore Gap tree

Sunday 1 October 2023 01:22 , Lydia Patrick

A tourist attraction, a film location and a symbol of hope - the felled Sycamore Gap tree was many things to many people.

The 300 year-old natural beauty was one of the most photographed trees in the country and an iconic sight next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. However, this week it was felled prompting an outpouring of anger and sorrow, from campaigners and the public alike.

Read more about the tree’s story here

The Sycamore Gap tree that stood tall for 300 years - in pictures

Why is it so famous?

Sunday 1 October 2023 00:22 , Lydia Patrick

The Sycamore Gap is one of the most photographed trees in the world with it’s romantic setting next to Hadrian’s Wall.

The tree is thought to be 300 years old and was planted between 1860 and 1890, say the National Trust.

The tree starred in the 1991 Hollywood film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, which starred Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, meaning it is also known as ‘Robin Hood Tree’.

‘I don’t want those memories to be spoiled by a single act'

Saturday 30 September 2023 23:30 , Lydia Patrick

Tony Gates, chief executive of the Northumberland National Park, has had to console teary visitors and staff members as they remember the significance of the tree.

Many visitors hold the Sycamore Gap closely as the backdrop to significant life moments, such as proposals and first dates.

Mr Gates, as reported in the Guardian said: “I don’t want those memories to be spoiled by a single act,” he said. “I want people still to be able to celebrate those positive memories of Sycamore Gap.”

‘More than just a tree'

Saturday 30 September 2023 22:23 , Lydia Patrick

An artist shares his tribute to the tree- which had been the subject of many of his comissioned pieces.

Alfie Joey said the act of vandalism was more ‘mindless’ than marking the Angel of the North.

The bishop of Newcastle shares her sadness

Saturday 30 September 2023 21:19 , Lydia Patrick

Have police caught the tree feller?

Saturday 30 September 2023 20:30 , Lydia Patrick

Officers investigating the vandalism of an iconic Northumberland tree made a second arrest yesterday after a teenager they arrested was released on bail.Northumberland police arrested a second male – in his 60s – in connection with the incident. He remains in police custody at this time.

The police force investigating the incident are still appealing for more information.

In pictures - The 300-year-old Sycamore Gap tree

Saturday 30 September 2023 20:00 , Lydia Patrick

Fence put up to protect the site

Saturday 30 September 2023 19:30 , Lydia Patrick

The Northumberland National Park shared a poignant statement on Facebook detailing how they will protect the space where the Sycamore Gap tree stood.

The Northumberland National Park Authority

‘The Sycamore Gap tree could not survive the spite of a saw'

Saturday 30 September 2023 19:00 , Lydia Patrick

Frieda Hughes mourns the late, great tree at Hadrian’s Wall after the 300 year-old tree toppled to the floor after surviving two World Wars.

Read the full poem here

300 years of weather, two world wars: the Sycamore Gap tree is gone | Frieda Hughes

A poignant poem to remember the Sycamore Gap tree

Saturday 30 September 2023 18:30 , Lydia Patrick

A social media account dedicated to the North East of England have shared a poem to condemn the ‘cruelty’ of the person who culled their tree.

‘The tree. Our tree’.

Those who cut down the Sycamore Gap tree, Have committed an act of great cruelty. They have shown no regard for nature’s grace, And left a scar upon this sacred place. Let those who cut down the sycamore tree, Beware the wrath of nature, wild and free. For their evil deed will not be forgotten.

Author shares why the culling is so significant

Saturday 30 September 2023 18:00 , Lydia Patrick

The author of a book which highlights the importance of trees shares why the culling could open up a new way of thinking.

Writer Colin Tudge is heartbroken yet somewhat optimisitc that the event could lead to a widespread shift in perspective as people mourn the loss of the Sycamore Gap tree.

He writes: “If we changed our attitude then we, humanity, could realistically be looking forward to the next million years, for starters. That we are now staring Armageddon in the face is not only tragic. It is absurd. We can learn much of what we need to know from trees – far more and of far greater profundity than we ever can from politicians and their think tanks of lawyers and financiers who set the tone of modern society and run our lives.”

Read the rest of his take here

I’m a tree expert – here’s how the Sycamore Gap tree ‘felt’ as it fell | Colin Tudge

Just Giving Campaign to rejuvenate Sycamore Gap near target

Saturday 30 September 2023 17:30 , Lydia Patrick

A fundraiser that hopes to raise money to fill the void left by the demolition of the Sycamore Tree has reached £3,736 of its £5,000 target.

The money will be donated to Northumberland National Park and National Trust North East to give new life to the area where the Sycamore tree stood.

You can donate here:

Alncom's fundraiser for National Trust

Angry social media user compares the act to HS2 demolition

Saturday 30 September 2023 17:00 , Lydia Patrick

A campaigner took to X to voice her annoyance that people heartbroken over the loss of the Sycamore Tree aren’t as upset about the culling of other trees to make way for the high-speed rail line.

Lizzie Carr shared a photo which she claims shows one of 108 ancient, native woodlands destroyed to make way for HS2.

Tweets by LizzieOutside

First Date’s Fred Sirieix questions everyones deep sadness over the Sycamore Tree

Saturday 30 September 2023 16:30 , Lydia Patrick

Everyone’s favourite Maitre D’ compared the culling of the Sycamore Tree to the worldwide climate crisis- calling for a wider conversation about deforestation.

He too to X to air his concern that people don’t share the same passion and urgency when thousands of trees globally are uprooted.

He added: “The rain forest (and others) is disappearing more and more everyday. We know this. Yet it carries on.”

Recap: World famous tree on Hadrian’s Wall was ‘deliberately felled’ leaving locals heartbroken

Saturday 30 September 2023 16:01 , Matt Mathers

Police said they were investigating whether a criminal offence had been committed after pictures emerged on Thursday morning of the tree lying on its side by the wall, after apparently having been cut down.

Full report:

World famous tree on Hadrian’s Wall was ‘deliberately felled’ leaving locals furious

Rory Stewart pays tribute to ‘sacred tree'

Saturday 30 September 2023 15:25 , Matt Mathers

Former Tory MP Rory Stewart has joined those paying tribute to the sycamore tree, saying it is the closest “our culture got to a sacred tree.”

“Venerated, visited, endlessly represented - anachronistic in age weaving Robin Hood and St Oswald and the frontier forts and tribes of the Roman wall - and now felled like the druids’ groves,” he wrote.

Mr Stewart served as the MP for Penrith and the Border, Cumbria, until 2019. He also worked as a minister in four government departments.

Woman writes poem in tribute to ‘sentinel of time’ Sycamore Gap tree

Saturday 30 September 2023 14:58 , Matt Mathers

A woman has written a poem paying tribute to the Sycamore Gap tree, describing it as a “sentinel of time”.

Laura Charlton, says she wrote the poem to try to capture the “recklessness of the actions and the sense of bereavement the locals are feeling.”

Here it is in full:

Ode to a Sycamore Tree

The birds sing their morning song

Wind dances through the leaves

Almost just as it once was

Yet Northumberland is bereaved.

Deprived violently by force

From the ancient wall where she stood

A stoic soldier of the seasons

Centuries etched in sycamore wood.

Yet after enduring the brutal elements

Northumberland’s sentinel of time

Reaved from her birthplace forever

An act of senseless, human crime.

So after centuries spent protecting

Northumberland from the wall

A national treasure, forever lost

A crime with no justice at all.

So let the birds sing their morning song,

Let the wind dance through what’s left

Never again as it once was

Northumberland is bereft.

ICYMI: The Sycamore Gap Tree in pictures as nature lovers ‘shocked and saddened’ by felling

Saturday 30 September 2023 14:30 , Matt Mathers

A tourist attraction, a film location and a symbol of hope - the felled Sycamore Gap tree was many things to many people.

The 300 year-old natural beauty was one of the most photographed trees in the country and an iconic sight next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. However, this week it was felled prompting an outpouring of anger and sorrow, from campaigners and the public alike.

Faiza Saqib reports:

The Sycamore Gap tree that stood tall for 300 years - in pictures

Can the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?

Saturday 30 September 2023 13:40 , Matt Mathers

Striking a note of optimism after the iconic Sycamore Gap tree was felled, experts have suggested it could be saved.

In an incident that caused widespread outrage and upset, the world-famous tree, next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, was chopped down overnight on Wednesday.

However, all hope is not lost, according to Andrew Poad of the National Trust, who pointed to the health of the ancient Sycamore Gap, which is thought to be around 300 years old, as giving reason to believe the tree could regrow.

Tara Cobham reports:

Can the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?

ICYMI: Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does’, say experts

Saturday 30 September 2023 13:20 , Matt Mathers

“Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does,” is the devastating verdict of experts on the iconic Sycamore Gap tree after it was felled.

With police believing it to be a deliberate act of vandalism, the chainsaw-cutting down of the world-famous tree next to Hadrian’s Wall, in Northumberland, has triggered widespread outrage and sorrow.

Tara Cobham reports:

Sycamore Gap: ‘Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does’

There’s no such thing as ‘just a tree’ – here are some that make me go ‘wow’

Saturday 30 September 2023 12:33 , Matt Mathers

Broadcaster Alastair Campbell has become as well known for his daily picture posts of trees as he is for his political punditry. Here, he reflects on why the Hadrian’s Wall sycamore matters and some of his recent favourite tree ‘spots’.

Read Alastair’s full piece below:

There’s no such thing as ‘just a tree’ – here are some that make me go ‘wow’

After 300 years of weather and two world wars, the Sycamore Gap tree could not survive the spite of a saw

Saturday 30 September 2023 10:35 , Matt Mathers

In her latest exclusive poem, Frieda Hughes mourns the late, great tree at Hadrian’s Wall – and also muses on what it feels like to be a ‘fugitive’ in London, late at night…

Read in the poem in full here:

300 years of weather, two world wars: the Sycamore Gap tree is gone | Frieda Hughes

Local with a grudge against National Trust may be behind felling - locals

Saturday 30 September 2023 10:09 , Matt Mathers

A local with a grudge against the National Trust may be responsible for felling the Sycamore Gap tree, locals believe.

“I heard it was a tenant farmer evicted from his land,” one drinker at the nearby Twice Brewed Inn tells, told The Daily Telegraph.  “He threatened he would cut down the tree.”

The paper said another rumour circulating locally was that a National Trust worker who had been sacked in the morning stole a chainsaw and felling gear in retaliation.

The National Trust denied the claim.

From George I to Charles III, the Sycamore Gap tree saw British history unfold

Saturday 30 September 2023 08:50 , Matt Mathers

Two world wars, multiple monarchs, disasters and jubilation: Sean O’Grady reflects on the rich history of the tree at Hadrian’s Wall – and explains why we shouldn’t flinch from mourning its felling

“I’m not quite sure why trees can have such a powerful hold on us, but it’s a remarkable, almost spiritual phenomenon. We sense they are living things – often venerable, always graceful, occasionally of stunning beauty.”

Read Sean’s piece in full below:

From George I to Charles III, the Sycamore Gap was part of our history | Sean O’Grady

‘Horrifying’ someone could fell tree

Saturday 30 September 2023 08:42 , Matt Mathers

Residents across the UK have been expressing their anger at the felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree in Northumberland.

Stephen Gallen, from Castlederg in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, said it was “horrifying that someone could destroy something as beautiful as the tree on Hadrian’s wall”.

He also shared a picture of a stunning sycamore tree in his hometown (below):