By Hollie Lawson
The 2016 “English Tree of the Year” has been cut down, and now locals demand justice for their fallen landmark.
In the early hours of Thursday the 28th of September, an act of merciless vandalisation took place at the dip of Northumberland’s world famous Hadrian’s Wall. The Sycamore Gap Tree, a national landmark which is estimated to have stood at around 300 feet tall, was chopped down, leaving just a small section of trunk behind.
The tree was planted in the late 18th century and since then it has gained fame for a number of reasons, in particular its feature in the 1991 movie “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”. Its position in the gap between two sections of Hadrian’s Wall made for a very picturesque view admired by many, hence its reputation for being the most photographed tree in the whole of the UK.
This iconic landscape was undoubtedly the crown jewel of the north-east, with other local landmarks such as the Angel of the North and Grey’s Monument never being able to live up to its reputation. During its fame it has been the spot for family days out, proposals and even the spreading of ashes. It will be a huge miss in the eyes of everyone who ever visited, and its removal will leave a tree-shaped hole in the locals' hearts.
“I went quite often with my kids, and they absolutely loved it,” a man from the local town of Cramlington told me. “We went every year with family for a picnic, so it holds a lot of memories for us. Knowing it won’t be there anymore for us to visit is genuinely heartbreaking; Hadrian’s Wall just won’t be the same again.”
There has been an uproar on social media for justice to be served, with people labelling the crime as “horrifying” and “pure spiteful”. In the two weeks following the tragedy, Northumbria Police have arrested a 16 year old boy and a man in his 60s in connection with the crime but both were recently released on bail pending further enquiries. Unfortunately at this present time, no one has been officially convicted and locals are still disconcerted with the real question: why?
“I think it’s horrific,” a resident born in Hexham claimed. “I don’t know what is more shocking, the fact they cut down such an important symbol of the north-east, or that someone so young could be responsible for it?”
“I hope they put something in place of it, it looks so sad otherwise.”
Thankfully, in the two weeks following the event, steps have been taken to replace the iconic tree. The National Trust have been taking seeds and clippings from the stump, whose conditions told experts that the tree was so healthy it is a possibility that it could be regrown. As well as this, they have managed to remove the stump from the wall and store it somewhere protected - it won’t be long until the site is safe for visitors to use once more.
The planting of the stump’s seedlings has brought a lot of hope to locals; although it is unlikely it will grow into the silhouette it once had, its regrowth will stand as a reminder of the tree’s exciting history. For this, we should be thankful.
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