The Incident Last Year
The felling incident happened in September 28, 2023. The Northumberland National Park Authority, the park where the tree stood, believed it to be a deliberate act of vandalism.
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The tree seemed to have been cut down with a chainsaw, at the base of its trunk. A white line was spray painted beneath the cut. From the way it was cut and the saw’s sharpness the authorities believed the perpetrators had some “considerable skills.”
Four Men Arrested, Two Charged
The police have arrested four men since the incident occurred. The first, caught hours after the incident, was a 16-year-old teenager. A few days later, a 60-year-old senior was also detained. But they were released without facing further action.
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On October 31, 2023, two men in their 30s were also arrested. Both men, coming from Cumbria, were later released on bail. But these two have finally been charged by the Crown Prosecution Services.
The Culprits’ Identities
The culprits have been identified as Daniel Graham (38) and Adam Carruthers (31). It took prosecutors six months to build a case and charge them. And so far, the tree-felling duo have yet to explain their reasons for vandalizing the Sycamore Gap.
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Speculations ran rampant for a while as the incident made the news rounds last year. Among the speculations offered by the Daily Mail, social media stunt and grievance against the tree’s ‘manager’, The National Trust, were listed.
Hadrian’s Wall Among the Damages
A specialist prosecutor for CPS North Easts Complex Casework Unit, Gary Fothergill, said, “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorized Northumbria Police to charge Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers with causing criminal damage after the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down last September.”
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“They have also been charged with causing criminal damage to Hadrian’s Wall and will appear at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court on 15 May 2024.”
An Iconic Tree
The Sycamore Gap tree is one of the most famous trees in the U.K. It stood dramatically in a dip along Hadrian’s Wall in the Northumberland National Park.
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The park and the National Trust jointly managed the tree. In late 2016, the Sycamore Gap won the award for English Tree of the Year from the Woodland Trust.
Robin Hood Fame
The tree achieved its iconic status after it appeared in 1993’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, and the late British actor Alan Rickman. Afterwards, it became so famous, it was routinely photographed by tourists.
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The film’s director, Kevin Reynolds, reacted strongly to the incident. He told the BBC, “I was just stunned. I mean, I was gutted. Then I was furious.”
Optimism for the Tree’s Regrowth
The National Trust said back in December that it was hopeful the sycamore would live on and regrow. Scientists had found salvaged seeds and cuttings were showing positive signs of new growth potential.
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The organization also hoped the trunk of the original tree would also regrow. However, it might take close to three years to be sure about it.
Kept in Secret Storage
For now, the felled tree has been moved to a secret storage for safekeeping. This measure was taken to protect it from souvenir hunters, who’ve been caught trying to take pieces of the tree from the site of the incident.
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Taking pieces for mementoes is a throwback to what happened with the Berlin Wall. Lady Jane Gibson, chairwoman of the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, said this action was why “it is now being safely stored as we work on potential future uses for the timber.”
Uses for the Leftover Wood
The National Trust is asking the public for suggestions of how the timber from the felled Sycamore Gap is going to be used. One of the options included is to turn the leftover wood into a bench to be placed where the tree once stood.
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Another suggestion is turning the wood into pencils. For sure, the timber is going to be repurposed in the future in a collaboration between artists, schools, community groups, and individuals.
The Trunk Goes Into Exhibition
Meanwhile, Northumberland National Park would exhibit the largest section of the tree—the trunk—at the Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, a tourist attraction in Hexham, not far from the sycamore’s original location.
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The exhibition is planned for September 2024, one year after the incident. There’s also a proposal by the locals for the commemoration of the felling incident. The park is also inviting the public to contribute ideas via email.
Justice for the Tree
Based on the outrage the incident sparked, many people will be waiting on tenterhooks until mid-May to hear more about what sentences the vandals, Graham and Carruthers, will get.
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Although the felling of a tree is not the same as the murder of a human being, it’s never pleasant to hear that vandals go free after damaging a landmark. We can only hope the beloved Sycamore Gap will get the justice it deserves.