The sycamore chopped down at Hadrian's wall

[Hungrycaterpillarsmummy]

What a fucking horrible thing to do.
It must've taken a lot of effort to cut that tree down, and for what? To do something horrible for the sake of doing something horrible?

Why why why cut down a 200yr old tree? :(

A girlfriend/mother/friend/teacher has angered him so greatly that he has punished them by ruining a place which he knew was very special to them.

Ofc a 16yo is capable of doing this alone.

This event is so weird to me. I can't think of any reason why someone would want to do this?? What would they gain from this?? There must be a motive??
For those suggesting a 16 yr old boy did it for a dare... I doubt 16 yr olds are doing dares. Dares were fun when I was 8 years old, not in my mid teens. Also, it seems far too professionally done for a 16 yr old.
I do think that those mentioning no noise are onto something though...

I do think that those mentioning no noise are onto something though...
@GirlOfTudor
On to what exactly? There would have been noise - it has clearly been cut with a chainsaw they aren't silent. It would have come down with a bang because it's a big heavy lump of wood. There is a difference between no noise and nobody around to hear the noise. The nearest building is about a kilometre away and on a night when they had been told to expect storms a bang would probably be interpreted as thunder.

They are, in essence, still doing dares. It’s just they are increasingly less innocuous and show a total lack of humanity. Much of this bullshit on TikTok, eg harassing the unsuspecting public including school girls with knives, are fundamentally dares or an attempt to impress their equally pathetic following. I despair.

I will just preface this post by saying I care about a great many things and am aware of more serious things going on in the world. But to give a little insight for you @Myneighboursarewankers since you asked why it’s such a big deal

When bad things happen in the world which they do every day, it upsets me as it does others. And ever now and again you feel the weight of it all and you feel down about it. Something that always makes me feel better and a little more positive about things is to get out and about outdoors. Be it a walk along the beach, a hike up a mountain. It helps calm my mind. It helps me to look at the beauty in this world and puts things into perspective.

One place that it very dear to me is Hadrian’s wall. And this is also because I spent a lot of time there with my Dad, hiking along the wall and chatting about all sorts.

I remember the first time he took me to that tree and told me about Robin Hood. And remember how beautiful it was and what a lovely day it was.

Over the years I have been back many times, by myself, with friends who love the outdoors and most recently with my husband. We took some lovely photos and had a wonderful day.

I always remember feeling so excited to walk up the steep hill knowing that on the way back down I was going to see the tree. I would remember all the times I had been there before and all the wonderful memories.

There will be thousands of other people like me with their own memories of this tree and the surrounding area.

It absolutely upset me yesterday to think that someone took it upon themselves to go out there in the night and cut down something that means so much to so many.

For me personally I am so very sad that I will never have that lovely feeling as I walk towards sycamore gap. I will never take my own children there to show them it’s beauty. Instead it is now forever a reminder of someones selfish, shitty actions.

Yes it might sound dramatic but this is absolutely how I and many others feel. It doesn’t mean we don’t care about other things in the world.

You've had mature trees taken down by tree surgeons in a garden. That is a very different thing to felling a tree in the open. It is literally a 5 minute (if that) job. It is 3 cuts with a chainsaw and maybe a little tap with a sledge and wedge.

@Missingpresumedhidden good point!

I think the tragedy is not why one tree was cut down, but why there was only one tree in the first place.

You've had mature trees taken down by tree surgeons in a garden. That is a very different thing to felling a tree in the open. It is literally a 5 minute (if that) job. It is 3 cuts with a chainsaw and maybe a little tap with a sledge and wedge.

Exactly. Tree surgeons in a garden have to (depending on tree position) remove a tree in chunks, cut off side branches, sometimes drop it vertically if it's amongst a load of other trees. This tree has been chopped without any thought about where it would land (unless the prick was trying to damage Hadrian's wall as well).

According to Goole maps, the tree is clearly visible for quite a stretch of the B6318, with several houses nearby. It' was largest single tree in the area, I'm surprised no-one saw (no pun intended) lights and sounds coming from it.

So there should have been more trees in case someone takes a fancy to chopping things down?

There are often people around at night there though. My H went to photograph the thing against a starry back drop at 1 in the morning or something barmy. He got there and two other people were doing the same thing. They all had head torches etc, so lights around there in the middle of the night wouldn’t be unusual.

as for noise, depends on the wind, the weather, and how long it went on for!

Jesus wept.

There was no storm.
16 year old farming kids are very capable of using a chainsaw.
It is not a tricky job.
Everyone drives quads and bikes.
16 year olds can be utter pricks for no reason whatsoever.
Nobody sends them on scuba diving holidays in the med for fucks sake.

Whoever did this deserves jail time. Regardless of age or sob story circumstances about how 'he is misunderstood' or whatever other rubbish criminals use.
Sadly he will most likely be given anonymity and a slap on the wrist.

? Weird take. No, there should be an entire forest that is left alone. humans removed all the trees from Northumberland, the whole country should be a forest. We go bonkers over a single tree without recognising for a second the absolute devestation we as a society have wreaked on the planet we share. It's like a tree only has a right to exist if it looks nice and in a cool spot.

That's such a lovely post @ValerieGoldberg and sums up exactly how I feel about the loss of this tree.

It's half a kilometre from the road and visible from a short stretch of it. There are a couple of farms nearby but as they are on the south side of the road I doubt it's visible from there (they are down valley). Of course no-one would notice someone felling a tree hundreds of metres away on a windy night.

Many If the young men in my area could fell a tree like that. 16 year olds often have animals in the county show and have been working the land for their families for some time. They aren’t dick heads about the land though so it’s surprising to see this sort of vandalism. I’d be really really worried it’s a very desperate need for attention. Why he needs that attention I don’t know but I hope all eyes are on the family/friends.

Yeah, the thread is bombed with townies who couldn't believe a 16 year old could possibly ride a quad and use a chainsaw. And also can't believe that someone could fell a tree in the middle of the night, on a moor in the middle of nowhere over half a mile away from the nearest dwelling, without someone noticing.

The point has whooshed straight over your head, hasn't it?

The poster was making a point about the way upland land is managed. It's not 'natural' that there was only one tree there.

There's quite a staggering display of ignorance on display about the world (or even the UK) beyond their backyard.

Someone could easily fell several trees (if such trees existed) on the moor above my village without anyone noticing.

Lights on the moor at night wouldn't be particularly unusual either, and wouldn't attract any real attention. They would be assumed to be from walkers or runners. Walking on footpaths after dark isn't so outlandish, and most people here own headtorches.

@ChardonnaysBeastlyCat there were previously more than one of these trees. Gamekeepers cut them down over time, leaving just the one remaining.

Whoever it is has been bailed so free to do more damage

You didn't think that the police would ever hold on remand a 16 year who has caused criminal damage to a tree, did you?

It is a serious matter, but if rapists get bailed (and they do), this kid should obviously be too.