Planting Sycamore Gap sapling an 'honour'

The Tree Sanctuary in Coventry was one of the first sites to plant a Tree of Hope

The founder of a site dedicated to rescuing vulnerable trees has said she feels "honoured" to have provided a home to one of the first saplings grown from the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree.

The original sycamore, which stood in a dip next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, was illegally chopped down in 2023.

However, 49 saplings, known as Trees of Hope, have been grown by the National Trust from seeds of the original tree.

One of the first was planted at the Tree Sanctuary in Coventry, and its co-founder Martina Irwin said she hoped "as many people can enjoy the tree as possible".

The site was set up three years ago by three teenagers who call themselves the Tree Amigos.

They rescue trees that have been vandalised in Coventry, growing saplings from their seeds

The 49 saplings are intended to represent the Sycamore Gap tree's original 49ft height

The Tree of Hope sapling arrived in Coventry on Friday and a camera was set up to keep an eye on it, before it was planted on Saturday.

Ms Irwin said that in a "wonderful" turn of events, the first visitor to see it was a local fox.

'Icing on the cake'

It has a spot on Sowe Common, "among other trees that we've rescued and replanted," she said.

"I'm so, so grateful, absolutely delighted, that we've got this sapling. It means so much - it's the icing on the tallest cake in the world."

Ms Irwin said the loss of the Sycamore Gap tree had brought home how important it was for the group to continue with their work.

When the original tree was felled, the sanctuary planted 100 sycamore saplings from locally gathered seeds to create a living legacy. She described them as "their own seeds of hope".

Daniel Michael Graham 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, who chopped down the Sycamore Gap tree, were convicted of criminal damage and jailed in July.