News

Our statement on the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree

Published:: 28 September 2023
Last updated:: 06 December 2023

The Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall moved by crane on 12 October 2023, Northumberland, with landscape in the background — Moving the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, by crane | © National Trust/Bec Hughes

For nearly 200 years, the iconic Sycamore Gap tree was an unmistakable landmark at Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort. We were shocked and saddened when it was felled on 27 September. We're inviting people to send us their memories of the tree and to support our work to plant trees and help nature in the Northumberland area.

After discovering the felled tree, our teams quickly gathered seeds and cuttings that specialist propagators at our Plant Conservation Centre are looking after. We're hopeful that we can use more than 30 per cent of these mature seeds and half of the cuttings for propagation, meaning that we may be able to grow strong saplings from the tree in the future.

If you'd like to support our Plant a Tree appeal, which will help plant trees and support nature in Northumberland, you can donate at the bottom of the page. New funds will be put towards creating new woodlands and restoring nature in Northumberland. In the new year, we'll launch a new fundraising appeal to go towards plans for the site and the tree.

We're working with the Northumberland National Park Authority, Historic England and Hadrian’s Wall Partnership to find the best way to honour the life of this much-loved tree. We'll announce further details of how local people and communities can get involved in the new year. Any donations received to date will be put towards the work done to commemorate the tree.

What we've done so far

We've carefully moved the tree from Hadrian's Wall and have stored it safely. This was a complex and difficult operation at a very sensitive site and we're grateful to everyone who has assisted with this work. We've retained the tree in large sections, which means we can keep all options open for the future. Moving the tree has helped preserve Hadrian's Wall, which is a 1,900-year-old monument, and made the site safe for visitors again.

We've also installed a temporary fence to protect the tree’s stump, which we hope will begin to sprout new shoots in time. It could take up to three years to know if this will be possible. We'd like to ask visitors to keep away from the trunk and take note of signage and the fence to help ensure maximum potential for new growth.

Because the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Scheduled Ancient Monument, we must think through our plans carefully.

We're working with partners to understand the opportunities and restrictions of developing a commemorative response at the Sycamore Gap site, which will require careful consideration due to its designations as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Scheduled Ancient Monument.

A quote by Andrew Poad General Manager at Hadrian’s Wall and Housesteads Fort

We're inviting everyone who wishes to share their memories of the tree to email their stories and photos to sycamoregap@nationaltrust.org.uk. These will add to hundreds of messages and memories people have already shared in a temporary reflection space at The Sill. In the aftermath of the felling, the team opened this space in the Northumberland National Park Authority’s visitor hub close to where the tree stood.

Andrew Poad, General Manager at Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort, says: 'Any photos and memories we receive will be used to help inform our next steps for honouring the tree and aid the ambition of creating 3D imaging of the tree.'

Thank you to everyone who has already sent in suggestions for how we can remember the sycamore. So far, we've had over 2,000 ideas, with some of the most popular suggestions being to create a commemorative artwork and to plant more trees to benefit nature. If you'd like to get in touch with ideas for the future of the site and the tree, please email us. We kindly ask people to please bear with us while we consider what might be possible.

This request for images and short written memories of the Sycamore Gap tree will help with future collective exhibitions and realise the aim for a 3D recreation of the tree.
1. You can submit your photographs to the following email address: sycamoregap@nationaltrust.org.uk.
2. By submitting photographs and memories of the tree via email, you are adding to a collective exhibition, for use in 3D imaging and are agreeing to the following conditions for their use.
3. You waive your moral rights, as the images will be used at the discretion of the National Trust and Sycamore Gap Partnership board as part of collective imaging or future exhibitions.
4. Once you've emailed us, you'll receive an automated response and a full list of terms and conditions.
5. Once you've submitted images and stories, you have the right to ask for the removal of images. To do so, please email sycamoregap@nationaltrust.org.uk with the word 'REMOVE' in the subject line and full details of your submission.
6. We're looking for close-up images of the tree, the bark and the branches, as well as more traditional landscape shots, to help with the 3D imaging.
7. We have no obligation to use any individual image or story, and all those that are not used or are not suitable will be deleted after a six month period.
8. We will store all images, stories and emails in line with GDPR and Data Protection, and will not share these or allow third parties to view them without prior written consent.
9. All images should be of the sycamore tree only and shouldn't include any person who is identifiable.
10. It's your responsibility to ensure that any images you submit have been taken with the consent of anyone who is identifiable in that image, or with the consent of their parent or guardian if they are under 16. You must also advise them of the purpose of the submission and that we might publish their photograph.
11. All images submitted must be your own work and must not have been published elsewhere (excluding social media) or have won a prize in any other photographic competition.
12. You must ensure that the photographs you're submitting are your own work, that you own the copyright for them and that they don't infringe the copyright or other rights of any third party or any laws.
13. Photos must be submitted by an adult over the age of 18. If you're under 18, please ensure you have permission from a parent or guardian to submit material, or they can submit material on your behalf.
14. You'll retain copyright of your submitted images and stories. However, by entering, you:
- (a) grant us non-exclusive rights to use the images to promote the future exhibitions and 3D imaging of the tree.
- (b) agree that the use referred to in Clause 14(a) above may include publishing, displaying or otherwise reproducing the images (whether on the internet, in the National Trust Magazine, in exhibitions or otherwise) provided such use is for the purposes of promoting the Sycamore Gap Project and associated works.
- (c) agree that we may contact you using the contact details you've provided to discuss potential use of the images beyond the work outline. Such discussion and negotiation will be independent and on a case-by-case basis.

Commemorating the Sycamore Gap tree

This iconic sycamore tree was planted in the late 1800s by the previous landowner, John Clayton, to be a feature of the landscape. The land and the tree came into our care in the 1940s.

The tree found fame when it was featured in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991 and was also awarded the English Tree of the Year award by the Woodland Trust in 2016.

A ranger crouching down in a field to check on some of the 100,000 trees planted on the Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire

Help plant more trees

For only £5, you could help to plant a tree that will support life for years to come. New Plant a Tree funds will go towards restoring woodlands and nature in Northumberland.

Plant a tree