A famous sycamore tree that grew along the remains of the ancient Roman defensive structure called Hadrian's Wall in England was chopped down in 2023 in an act of vandalism. However, there is reason for hope, because the stump is sprouting a few new shoots.
The non-native sycamore was planted about 150 years ago in front of Hadrian's Wall in a dip in the landscape created by glacial meltwater. The ancient wall rises on either side of the tree. Hadrian's Wall was built to defend the northern border of the Roman empire. It stretches for 84 miles from Wallsend on the east coast of England to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast. Hadrian's Wall is now part of the "Frontiers of the Roman Empire" World Heritage Site.
For many years the well-loved sycamore was the backdrop for marriage proposals and weddings. It became a place where people spread ashes of their loved ones. It is located near Crag Lough in Northumberland and is part of Northumberland National Park.
When the tree was cut down with a chainsaw on Sept. 28, 2023, it caused an outcry. Eventually two men were arrested in October 2023 for the crime. In April 2024, they were charged with criminal damage to the tree and to Hadrian's Wall. Their trial has been set for December 2024.
The tree is sometimes called Robin Hood Tree because it was featured in a prominent scene near the beginning of the 1991 film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The tree has also appeared in a music video from a song on the soundtrack of the film, (Everything I Do) I Do It for You. It has been part of the TV crime drama Vera and was in the documentary series, More Tales from Northumberland with Robson Green.
In 2016, the tree won England's Tree of the Year competition. The prize was a grant of 1,000 pounds. It was used to pay for a survey of the tree's health and to protect its roots, which were damaged by so many people walking over them.
Seeds were collected from the tree and used to help grow new saplings. After the vandalism, the felled tree was cut up and removed by crane. It is being stored on property of the National Trust, a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The tree has been loved for so long that when signs of life and regrowth appeared on its stump, it was a cause for celebration. The National Trust said that eight new, fragile shoots have been discovered.
Many thanks to Wikipedia, from which I gleaned most of the information for this blog. The August 9, 2024 issue of The Guardian Weekly, a British publication, also provided information about the tree's signs of life and regrowth.