Signs of life spark hope for UK's felled Sycamore Gap tree

Signs of life spark hope for UK's felled Sycamore Gap tree
by AFP Staff Writers
London (AFP) Aug 1, 2024

New shoots have appeared at the stump of one of the UK's most beloved and photographed trees after it was illegally cut down last year, a conservation charity said Thursday.

The news has sparked hope that the Sycamore Gap tree in northern England could "live on", the National Trust added.

The tree, which grew for more than 200 years in a picturesque dip in the Northumberland landscape alongside Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was found felled in September 2023.

Efforts have been underway to see if the tree in Northumberland National Park could regrow after it was determined that the stump was still alive.

Now, eight new shoots have emerged, which "could develop significant new growth to form as 'new' trees around the original stump", according to the National Trust and the Northumberland National Park Authority.

The sycamore became internationally famous when it was used for a scene in the 1991 blockbuster film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", starring Kevin Costner.

The regrowth was spotted during a routine check by park ranger Gary Pickles, who called the discovery "serendipitous".

"I've done this walk several times over the last year, but this time it was different, there was something new -- the trunk was showing signs of regeneration," Pickles said.

Andrew Pond, general manager for the National Trust at Hadrian's Wall, said officials "always had hope that nature would find a way to recover, and to see signs of life, just ten months on, is astonishing".

The National Trust, which looks after UK heritage and nature conservation, and the park authority said they would leave the shoots to grow for "a few years" to see how they develop.

"We'll also do what we can to protect the root zone, and to avoid any compaction. The next few weeks and months are vitally important for the success of these shoots forming into the reinvigorated tree", Pond said.

To protect the shoots, the authorities have asked visitors to keep away from the stump and not touch the shoots, as well as not leave ashes in the area -- done by people who have special memories associated with the site.

There are also plans to "extend fencing around the site", according to the statement.

Two men have been charged with criminal damage over the felling of the tree and damage to Hadrian's Wall.

Daniel Graham, 38, pleaded not guilty while Adam Carruthers, 31, entered no plea in May.

Hadrian's Wall was started in AD 122 during the reign of emperor Hadrian, and marked the boundary between Roman Britannia and unconquered Caledonia to the north.