Sycamore Gap - tree has been felled!

[NepheliLoux]

Looks like someone has deliberately felled the famous tree in Sycamore Gap. I can’t believe anyone would do such a thing. I don’t normally get emotional but this has really upset me. It’s absolutely irreplaceable.

Its obviously been cut down, if it had blown down it would either have been uprooted, or a proper split in the trunk.

I think Hadrian’s wall might be a bit of an issue there which is unlikely to stop being an issue 10,20,100 years from now. There is much more of the north east on developers eyes than somewhere as remote as Sycamore Gap

Nope anyone stupid enough to think they would ever get permission to build there doesn't have two brain cells to keep each other warm. Northumberland is one the least populated parts of Britain, land for developing is not in short supply. Anyone who would think that they would ever either need to or be able to build on the wall is crazy.

im channeling the perspectives of fox mulder and dana scully

military, research and development etc as you say very min population

But the tree (that would have died one day anyway) is much less of a hindrance to developing than the wall so they would have gained nothing by removing it.

fair points, ill admit im playing devils advocate

There was a bit of building work that went on up there that one time…. About ooooh 1900 years ago.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels weird seeing floral tributes to a tree stump - the tree is not even dead as of now! - when less than 24 hours before it happened a teenager was murdered on her way to school.

Whoever cut down the tree is probably an obnoxious little turd looking for fame within his turd friendship circle. But it's not like the whole site is gone. They can plant another tree and do something with the cut trunk. Or install a sculpture. It's not like trees are immortal, it was already a few hundred years old, and according to google they die at about 400. The tree can be replaced. I can't get upset about this.

well if you use a time machine, it could technically be yesterday or today

So sad... heard a radio piece that apart from the crime against historical nature, the local economy will be badly affected.
So world famous was the tree that cafes, pubs etc in the area had a large customer base with people coming to see the tree.

If it was the 16 yr old, what a weird thing to do, i can only presume they must surely have mental health problems, whatever reason could there possibly be?

@@Willyoujustbequiet @Missingpresumedhidden
According to the Woodland Trust who are the authority on British Woodland trees, sycamore did not start to be naturalised until the middle of the 19th century. The first ones would have been in the vicinity of ornamental parkland, which this is not, so it would have been several generations later, say the 1890s and that's a generous timeframe for such a remote place. So the oldest that it could logically be is about 130 years old.
Additionally, old specimens of sycamore have a different bark; it becomes deeply fissured and develops platelets which I'm not seeing in the pictures of the felled trees. I'm also a horticultural professional, by the way.
I reiterate. My DH did the original survey and conservation plan for this section of the wall. Freelance landscape architect specialising in trees in landscape, and commissioned by the National Trust. That would have been in the 1990s and a tree survey was part of that conservation plan. He put the tree then at 60-70 years old which would have made it about 100 now. That looks about right to me considering the size and the status of the bark. Bear in mind that sycamore are very fast growing and early to mature.
However, this being MN, I'm sure you know better than the experts so I'm happy to go along with your superior knowledge. And whatever the age of the tree, this is an act of pointless vandalism. The tree can be cloned and replaced, but it's not really the same, is it?.

Oh, FGS, it's Hadrians's Wall that provides the main draw for the tourist economy. I don't think the tree is more than minimally significant. It is jut a tree on a walk, where you say 'Oh look that tree that I have seen in some pictures'. The Wall, museums, forts, ruins, etc are all still there. So are the pictures of the tree on teatowels in gift shops. They can probably flog more of those than ever. The tree was only ever a silly piece of branding and flummery

Just plant a new bloody tree?? Really don’t understand the wailing about this and I am local to the area.

It is thought the sycamore was potentially introduced during the Roman era - as the Woodlands Trust will tell you. They didn’t become NATURALISED (very different thing) till 19th century, so yes, the tree could easily be 300 years old. Also, tree experts have assessed this tree and declared it to be such an age. Your husband, an architect, is not on the same level of expertise. Everyone, including the National Trust who will know this tree intimately, believe it to be around 300 years old. Forgive us if we don’t believe you and your husband.

That tree was 200 years old. You can’t just plant another one.

For those arguing that sycamores are nasty invaders:

“Sycamores — or celtic maple, as arboriculturalists call them — will be a key tree species as climate change takes hold,” said Parker. “It’s a real tree of the future. It will be even more important going forward with climate change. This one was very iconic, probably one of the most iconic trees in the country, and very photogenic.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sycamore-gap-tree-robin-hood-hadrians-wall-qs3jg6scd

And those suggesting a sculpture be put in its place: imagine a world where we have memorial statues where ancient trees used to be. Doesn't that tell us everything we need to know about what a despicable species we are?

But I am in the North East.

I don’t think a 16 year old could have done this by themselves.

I reckon they had help from an elder.

Do you understand what the point of a national park is?

Yeah, we should get rid of anything historical because we can always build a new one aye? 🙄

Why?

16 year olds generally do things in groups like little sheep so probably was not alone.

Other than the actual photos showing a clean cut?

I reckon they had help from an elder.

Or a beech perhaps; there are billions of those around in the North East.