Sycamore Gap tree: The story so far

BBC News

22-05-2025

Two men have been convicted of chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree, which once stood in a dip next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. It was an incredibly popular landmark, what happened to it and why was it so beloved?
What was the Sycamore Gap tree?
Quite simply it was a single sycamore tree growing in a natural dip in the countryside along Hadrian's Wall, close to the village of Once Brewed.The National Trust, which looks after the site with the Northumberland National Park Authority, said it was planted in the late 1800s by previous landowner John Clayton to be a "feature in the landscape".
While a popular spot for walkers and photographers due to its unusual setting, it became famous after featuring in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner. Afterwards, it gained the nickname the Robin Hood Tree - although in reality it was some 170 miles (273 km) from Sherwood Forest.Dan Newman, whose character Wulf hides in the tree and is rescued by the eponymous hero, told the BBC it was the first scene he filmed on his very first day on set.
The film's director Kevin Reynolds said it was "one of the most quintessentially idyllic spots in the world and now it's gone, it's murdered, and for what reason?"Podcast: The Sycamore Gap story - It's not just a treeThe Northumberland National Park Authority said the site was its "most-photographed spot", and in late 2016 it was crowned English Tree of the Year in the Woodland Trust's awards.It was also the scene of marriage proposals, sentimental moments and the scattering of ashes.
Author LJ Ross, whose second novel was named after the tree, said many creatives "felt inspired" by it.It was also a focal point along the 84-mile (135km) Hadrian's Wall route between Wallsend in North Tyneside and Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria.
What happened to the tree?
On the morning of 28 September 2023, news spread that the tree had been chopped down overnight.A police investigation was launched and forensics officers were sent to take measurements and samples from the remains.One was heard saying: "In 31 years of forensics I've never examined a tree."On 30 April 2024, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers from Cumbria were charged with criminal damage of the tree and criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall.
Both denied the charges but were found guilty after a high profile trial at Newcastle Crown Court in May.Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, filmed the felling on a mobile phone and took a wedge of the tree's trunk away as a trophy.They are due to be sentenced in July.
Why and how did they do it?
Because both men denied their involvement, no definitive explanation has been offered for why they did it.Prosecutors said it was a "moronic mission" and the pair thought it would be a "bit of a laugh".Graham claimed Carruthers was fascinated with the tree and had previously discussed chopping it down, but Carruthers denied that with his legal team saying Graham was trying to make a "scapegoat" of his co-accused.
What is known is that shortly before midnight on 27 September 2023, the pair drove to the site from their homes in the Carlisle area in Graham's Range Rover, parked at Steel Rigg car park and made a 20 minute walk to the tree.It was a windy night with Storm Agnes blowing through, and the heavy gusts would have helped the men ensure the tree fell northwards, across the Roman wall itself.With the use of a chainsaw, they used a so-called hinge and wedge technique with the felling taking just minutes to complete.
They then took a wedge of the trunk home as a trophy and over the following days revelled in the global outrage caused by their mindless actions.You can see our live coverage of week one of the trial here and week two here.There is some dispute over the value of the tree, which prosecutors said was between £450,000 and £622,000 but the men's barristers said was far lower.The cost of repairing two stones on the wall was put at £1,144.
How did people react at the time?
The toppling of the tree led to an outpouring of anger and astonishment.The then Hexham Conservative MP Guy Opperman said people he had spoken to were "utterly stunned" and "devastated" at the damage.He described the sycamore as a "symbol of the North East".
Hairy Biker Si King, who grew up in County Durham, posted on social media that a "sentinel of time and elemental spirit of Northumberland" had been "murdered".People were also keen to share their memories of the tree and why it was so special to them.
Alice Whysall, from Brampton, Cumbria, believed she may have taken the final photograph of the tree the previous evening, as she stopped there in the rain while on a hike.She said it was "such an emotional thing to have seen it in its final hours".
The outpouring of emotion led to impromptu poems about its untimely end and photographs from every angle, and every season, were shared.It was "a place where truly one could be set free," wrote Harriet Robinson.
What is happening with the tree?
The trunk of the tree was removed on 12 October 2023.Because it was so big it was cut into large pieces so it could be taken away by crane.
The National Trust has been able to grow saplings from the tree which are being given out to 49 charities and organisations across the UK, one for each foot of the tree's height.Meanwhile, eight new shoots have emerged from the stump, raising hopes that the original tree will regrow.It will take up to three years before experts know if this is possible, the trust said.National Trust manager Andrew Poad said the stump was "healthy" and they might be able to coppice the tree, where new shoots grow from the trunk's base, but it could take up to 200 years to get back to what it once was.A sapling which was planted nearby in a bid to restore "hope" was removed as the site has Unesco World Heritage status.
Plans were also announced to put the largest section of tree on public display at The Sill, a visitor attraction near the site, in September 2024.And prints were created from a cross-section of the heart-shaped trunk.
People were keen to lend a helping hand.A fundraising site was set up, with more than £4,000 donated to help to "improve and rejuvenate" the area around the stump.The National Trust advised people to "treat the stump with respect" and encouraged people to share their ideas.
There were also suggestions about what to do with the remaining wood. The High Sheriff of Northumberland, Diana Barkes, suggested something could be created from it "for people to come and remember the tree and remember their loved ones".Thousands of ideas have been sent to officials, including turning the trunk into benches or sculptures.Elsewhere, other projects are benefiting from the loss. In North Yorkshire, artist Lucy Pittaway, who painted the Sycamore Gap tree, planted trees at the Swinton Estate for every print copy she sells, hoping a new woodland will revive the area.
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