Sycamore Gap tree: The story so far

The tree was popular with photographers throughout the seasons

The Sycamore Gap tree, which once stood in a dip next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, has been chopped down. It was an incredibly popular landmark, but what was so different about it and why did it affect so many people?

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".

Forensic investigators examined the remains of the Sycamore Gap tree

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 tree

The 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.

Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Dan Newman at the tree in 1991's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

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, two men in their 30s from Cumbria were charged with criminal damage of the tree and criminal damage to Hadrian's Wall.

Both have denied the charges and a trial is expected to take place in December.

Northumbria Police previously confirmed that a man aged in his 60s and a 16-year-old boy, who were also arrested, would face no further action.

The site is looked after by the National Trust and Northumberland National Park

How did people react?

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".

The tree was planted in the late 1800s by landowner John Clayton

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 tree has been described as a symbol of the North East

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 will happen to the tree?

The trunk of the tree was removed on 12 October.

Because it was so big it was cut into large pieces so it could be taken away by crane.

A crane was brought in to remove the tree, which was cut into smaller pieces because of its size

In December, the National Trust confirmed that seeds collected from the tree would be used to grow new saplings at its rare plant propagation nursery.

In March, it was confirmed new life had sprung from rescued seeds and twigs of the Sycamore Gap tree.

The National Trust is still deciding what to do with the shoots once they are strong enough.

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.

Workers at the site used chainsaws to trim the trunk ahead of it being removed

Plans have also been 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 have been created from a cross-section of the heart-shaped trunk.

Visitors to the site have been advised by the National Trust to treat the stump with "respect"

People have also been keen to lend a helping hand.

A fundraising site has been set up, with more than £4,000 donated to help to "improve and rejuvenate" the area around the stump.

The National Trust has advised people to "treat the stump with respect" and has encouraged people to share their ideas.

Carrie Page and Christine Hopper paid homage to the tree with this postbox topper

There have also been 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, has planted trees at the Swinton Estate for every print copy she sells, hoping a new woodland will revive the area.