Ode to the Sycamore Gap Tree

Our memories of the famous tree shortly before it was cut down

Sycamore Gap Tree, Pixabay Content License

Ann Marie: A senseless act of vandalism

It was a year ago, 28 September 2023, to be exact. I remember the date because it was my friend’s birthday, and she was visiting us in Germany from the United States. We treated her to a trip to a monastery and dinner under trellised grape vines in the courtyard of a Greek restaurant.

I checked the news right before dinner, and it came out on top of my feed: Someone had cut down the Sycamore Gap Tree overnight! A wave of nausea and sadness washed over me. We had just visited Hadrian’s Wall three weeks prior and had photographed the iconic tree.

The news reported that early in the morning of 28 September, the sounds of their chainsaw masked by the winds of the Storm Agnes, vandals had coppiced the tree. By 11:47 am, the National Trust, the landowner, posted on its website that the Sycamore Gap Tree was no more. At 11:54 am, it posted on X and confirmed it had reported the incident to the police. It didn’t take long for the police to respond. Just 26 minutes later, the Northumbria Police announced it had launched a full investigation. And then the outcry went around the world.

Over my glass of mavrodaphne and plate of dolmadakia, I had to explain to our guests why the felling of a tree in England was upsetting me in Germany. It had to do with the tree’s history and what it meant to the people of Northern England. And that we – my Canadian author friend Marie Powell, my husband, and I – had just seen the tree and felt a personal connection. None of us are English, but under those grape vines and surrounded by Mediterranean lemon and fig trees, we still grieved for an isolated sycamore tree in the barren, windswept hills of Northumberland.

Marie: A view from the road

Marie Powell at Hadrian’s Wall. Image: Ann Marie Ackermann

What I like best about travel is the adventure. Often, the most interesting aspects of a trip come from the unplanned, unexpected moments. So, when Ann Marie (a new friend from the Blackfriars Abbey’s Eat Medieval course in Newcastle) suggested going on one, I was all-in. But at the time, I knew little about Hadrian’s Wall, the Sycamore Gap tree, or Northumberland in general.

In September 2022, after our first Eat Medieval course together, I rented a car and convinced Ann Marie to come sightseeing with me. More than a little nervous about driving, I relied on her expert navigation, and a little help from a friendly gas station attendant who gave us a postal code to plug into the car’s GPS. We made our way down winding narrow roads and through picturesque villages to a section of Hadrian’s Wall.

Ann Marie at Hadrian’s Wall. Image: Marie Powell.

The following year, Ann Marie rented a car and invited me for a tour of a new area of Hadrian’s Wall. She drove us along a different route to the ancient Roman Housesteads area.

Her husband Dieter first mentioned wanting to stop to photograph the tree as we sped down the narrow highway, but we were meeting friends for lunch and felt the press of time. Not deterred, he cleverly opened the window of the car and began shooting as we drove. As I recall it, we barely slowed down. Now, I have tried the same trick a few times in the past, but the results were always a blurry mess. When he showed me the shot, I was impressed (see the photo below). And I wanted to want to find out more. As a Canadian, I firmly believe the history of trees is just as important as the history of people. And in this case, that history was worth the adventure.

Our memorial photo

At the time we took this picture on 2 September 2023, the Sycamore Gap Tree had only 24 days to live. Image: private, with permission

The Sycamore Gap Tree

You already know the tree if you have ever watched Kevin Costner’s Robinhood: Prince of Thieves. It features the Sycamore Gap Tree in an early scene you can watch here to refresh your memory (you might recall Robin and Azeem walking along Hadrian’s Wall, past the tree, a boy climbing the tree to escape the Sheriff of Nottingham’s minions, and Robin saving him).

The Sycamore tree (acer pseudoplatanus) stood sentry right next to Hadrian’s Wall for over 150 years. It was about 50 feet tall, located in a dip between hills in Northumberland, northern England.

Over the decades, the tree became one of the most beloved in all England. Well-known as one of the most photographed tourist attractions in England, the tree won the English Tree of the Year award from the Woodland Trust in 2016, according to Northumberland National Park. It was a popular place for marriage proposals and scattering the ashes of loved ones. Both the park and National Trust look after the area.

The gap itself takes its name from the Sycamore tree, of course. It was christened by Lawrence Hewer, a National Trust employee, during a map review of the area. These dramatic dips in the landscape near the wall are common, caused by meltwater from ancient ice sheets chipping away at the hillsides over centuries. The Romans used the natural landscape to construct the wall as part of their strategic defense. Archeological evidence just a few hundred feet from the tree dates from eons before the Romans, showing it was a known boundary as early as the Bronze age.

This isolated Sycamore tree may have had company at one time, but other trees may have been removed to allow defenders to see anyone approaching or even for better hunting. After it was felled in 2023, courts estimated the loss to Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to be about 620,000 pounds ($785,000 USD), and damages to the wall at 1,100 pounds ($1,400 USD).

The tree itself may be gone, but the memory of it lingers. The National Trust is looking after seeds from it in the Plant Conservation Centre. Artists will install the largest section of trunk at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre this year.

And even more dramatic: the tree is sprouting new growth as of August 2024. Sprouts have been spotted growing from the damaged trunk. It’s now surrounded by a reinforced fence and a sign asking visitors to stay away. Nevertheless, the sprouts, so symbolic of new life, sooth the grief and distract us from the criminal drama for a moment. The tree still lives and there is hope for the future.

Have you seen the Sycamore Gap tree? Subscribe below to comment and share the story of your visit to the area.

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German translation:

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Resources

Tony Henderson, “North East's most photographed tree is now an official national treasure,” Chronicle Live, Dec 18, 2016: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-easts-most-photographed-tree-12337998

“Read About Sycamore Gap.” National Trust: Aug 18, 2017: https://web.archive.org/web/20220704003645/https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hadrians-wall-and-housesteads-fort/features/sycamore-gap

“Sycamore Gap,” Northumberland National Park: https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/places-to-visit/hadrians-wall/sycamore-gap/

Brian Melley, “Defendants unmasked in court face cost of damage for allegedly felling famous 150-year-old tree.” The Star: May 15, 2024: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/europe/defendants-unmasked-in-court-face-cost-of-damage-for-allegedly-felling-famous-150-year-old/article_aa5fc869-89d1-5a21-aa33-b46cbade8154.html

“2 men arrested in an investigation into a famous tree that was felled near Hadrian’s Wall in England.” AP News: Nov 1, 2023: https://apnews.com/article/sycamore-gap-tree-hadrians-wall-britain-vandalism-cfd4e6d5bec32f5b89fc40b459b89cb1

“One Month since its Demise, we Investigate the History of the Sycamore Gap Tree.” Artemis Tree Services: https://www.artemistreeservices.com/news/one-month-since-its-demise-we-investigate-the-history-of-the-sycamore-gap-tree/

“Delight as Sycamore Gap tree sprouts,” Northumberland National Park, Aug 1, 2024: https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/sycamore-gap-is-sprouting/

“Beloved tree sprouts back to life.” Science/Nature videos, Aug 3, 2024: https://weather.com/science/nature/video/beloved-uk-tree-sprouts-back-to-life-after-illegal-felling