Glimmer of hope for Sycamore Gap stump as shoots could regrow from 'deliberately' felled tree
29 September 2023, 13:10 | Updated: 29 September 2023, 13:25
Britain's much-loved Sycamore Gap stump could become a tree once more but experts warn any regrowth may take decades.
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The famous tree had stood for over 300 years along Hadrian’s wall in Northumberland before it was felled by a chainsaw on Wednesday night.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested for the "deliberate act of vandalism" but has now been released on bail.
Many have mourned the iconic tree but there is still a glimmer of hope.
Read more: Boy, 16, arrested after world-renowned Sycamore Gap Tree cut down released on bail
Nature experts have now claimed that the stump could grow new shoots next spring but would take decades to become a tree again.
The National Trust added that it may be possible to protect the stump to allow the tree to regrow. The charity is now looking into gathering the seeds.
Environmentalists and MPs have voiced their grief, saying they feel "appalled” and "saddened".
On Thursday morning, the national park authority said: "(We) can confirm that sadly, the famous tree at Sycamore Gap has come down over night. We have reason to believe it has been deliberately felled.
"We are working with the relevant agencies and partners with an interest in this iconic North East landmark and will issue more details once they are known."
A business local to the area, the Twice Brewed Inn, has even offered a £1,500 free bar tab to anyone to has information on the criminal.
On Facebook, they posted: "Everyone at The Twice Brewed Inn is devastated by the senseless felling of the beloved Sycamore Gap tree."
"This iconic landmark is woven throughout The Twice Brewed - from our logo to our sister Brewery's award-winning ale - and we are truly appalled by its destruction.
"We are offering a £1,500 bar tab as a reward to the person who provides information to Northumbria Police that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for destroying such a precious beacon of natural beauty on Hadrian's Wall."
The tree had also been a comfort for many, with one woman telling LBC how the felling has her "grieving all over again".
Heather Sutherland, from Newcastle, said that she scattered her brother's ashes at the iconic location.
Ms Sutherland wanted "to mark" their close sibling bond that "focused on laughs and smiles".
As children, she and her brother used to visit the tree due to their shared love for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
When she found out that the tree was cut down she said she "felt a physical jolt".
She added: "My breath was taken away, and then I was crying - about its felling, but more realising I wouldn't be able to see it again."
Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police, said on Thursday: "This is a world-renowned landmark and the events of today have caused significant shock, sadness and anger throughout the local community and beyond."
The tree had earned stardom status, having appeared in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
