Cumbria stories you may have missed this week

The tree's felling sparked global outrage

The conviction of two men who felled the famous Sycamore Gap tree after a dramatic trial that hooked millions around the world and the on-going fight to reopen a city's Turkish baths.

Here are some stories you may have missed in Cumbria this week.

Pair guilty of cutting down Sycamore Gap tree

Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were both found guilty of two counts of criminal damage

Two men have been found guilty of the "mindless destruction" of the world famous Sycamore Gap tree, the felling of which sparked international outrage.

The tree had grown in a dip on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland for more than 100 years before it was cut down in a "moronic mission" in the early hours of 28 September 2023, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Daniel Michael Graham, 39, from Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 32, from Wigton in Cumbria, were each convicted of two counts of criminal damage.

• Read more about the trial here

Former archaeologist named as city's new bishop

The Right Reverend Rob Saner-Haigh said it was "honour" to take on the role permanently

A former archaeologist has been announced as the new Bishop of Carlisle.

The Right Reverend Rob Saner-Haigh, who has held the role on an acting basis since 2023, has now been appointed to the position permanently.

He said it was an honour "to be able to continue to serve this county that I love".

• Read our story here

Hope for future of city's Turkish baths

The Grade II listed facility on James Street in Carlisle closed in 2022

Plans to restore a city's Victorian Turkish baths to their former glory are slowly moving forward, those behind the project said.

The Grade II listed facility on James Street in Carlisle closed in 2022 due to high running costs and The Friends of Carlisle's Victorian and Turkish Baths are working on a bid to take over the building from Cumberland Council.

"We're having this transition from a group that started on Facebook, to a charity to save the baths and now a charity that's going to take over quite a large asset and run a multimillion-pound project," said trustee Elsa Price.

• Read more about the baths' history here

Charity doubles rehoming of cats and dogs

Oak Tree has rehomed 101 cats and dogs in the first four months of the year

An animal charity which has seen its pet rehoming numbers double said it was prompted to take action after feedback from potential owners on adoption challenges.

Oak Tree Animals' Charity, based near Carlisle, said adoptions of cats and dogs increased to 101 in the first four months of 2025, up from 50 in the same period last year.

It said it had overhauled the way it handles adoptions, with animals now rehomed in as little as one or two weeks rather than the average of three months.

• Read the full story here

First fines issued as fly camper crackdown starts

The council said officers had issued two £100 fines in the Buttermere area

A council tackling so-called fly campers has issued its first fines using Public Space Protection Orders.

Last month Cumberland Council said it would use the orders to crackdown on people leaving human waste, litter, lighting fires and equipment while camping in the Lake District.

The council said officers had issued two £100 fines in the Buttermere area in connection to breaching the order.

• Read more about the fines here