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.

I agree with whoever mentioned Jebediah Springfield above. Absolute Bart vibes.

It is a shame and a shitty thing to have done. But murder? Let’s keep it in perspective. What happened to that 15 year old girl was murder.

It will probably grow from the stump (sycamores can be coppiced) but it will take many years and won't look the same

The idiot who did it should do 5 years community service in old/disabled people's gardens.

Same, I usually love a good pun but this was definitely “too soon”, as they say. It doesn’t feel funny to those of us who feel an affinity to this area, who have visited this tree or who feel its loss.

Not the trunk no. Part of it is missing, a large part.

I’ve no infinity to the area, and I do feel some of the more extreme posts are too much, but I also agree that trying to derail the thread with puns and “we are mad us” * is quite distasteful.

So it's theft, someone ordered this.

I am so sorry about the tree - but this comment is classic!

youd need a big jcb or tractor up there, this wasn’t a 16 year old. Not alone. Doubt it was ordered more whomever did it, has taken the wood , possibly for fire wood, but that’s not why they’ve done it, and it looks like they tried to move the tree as it’s displaced

I can’t see how it’s what is being said in the media . Anyone with any experience of tree felling can see part of that tree trunk is missing and even 10 strong men would struggle to lift what’s missing, even split down into sections, you’d need a huge vehicle to take the weight to move it away from the site.

whoever did it is prob the person who wanted it gone. But it was more than one person and definitely not a 16 year old on a quad bike.

someone said there was a farmer pissed off at the visitors going over their fields . Someone like that would have the equipment, ability and motive. But who knows.

If it was a disgruntled farmer, why would they have taken the trunk? There must be vehicle marks on the ground? Wouldn't it have made an awful noise? I'm sure they'l soon know more. But very odd.

Why would anyone take the trunk. But there is no way round the fact it’s gone.

Whether you think people are over reacting over a tree or not it was an iconic symbol of the region, so I share their sadness.

I do believe a 16 yo could have done this and it is likely they got lucky that the chainsaw wasn't jammed part way through or that the tree didn't hit them.
As to why; either a dumb 'cos' - a lot of teenage boys go through a phase of mindless destruction, especially at the unfairness of it all... Or as PP have said for TikTok fame. Sadly I doubt we'll ever get a coherent explanation as to why.

I'm not convinced any substantial part of the trunk is missing, it would take some shifting, access is very limited and anything bigger than a quad bike would have churned up the ground around it considerably. I'm not even sure you could get to it with any vehicle - certainly not along the path following the wall.

It's was a futile act and I don't know what would be a suitable punishment - maybe planting new trees every single weekend for a very long time.

It probably did make a lot of noise - but the nearest building is about a kilometre away - it wasn't someone back garden, it's not in the middle of a street. It is a vast empty open space and the sound of a chainsaw in the far distance or the noise of a quad passing isn't going to draw attention.

Yes and there was a storm.

It seems that the weather wasn't particularly stormy but there had been storm warnings so the bang of the tree coming down would probably have been mistaken for thunder.

Bloody hell, that's shocking!

I apologise - I haven't read the whole thread so if this has been said already, I'm sorry.

I'm horrified at this like other pps. Trees take hundreds of years to become mature but can be felled in minutes by an idiot with a chainsaw.

BUT!! I'm worried that publicising this so forcefully might lead to copycat attacks - and give idiots ideas. Please everyone, be very watchful in your local environment and let the police etc know if you see any tree felling which seems dodgy.

God - the damage which could be done in absolutely no time at all - it's frightening. Same sort of people who start wildfires - there are some stupid people about.

I'm not convinced at all that part of the trunk is missing. I understand the view that the branch seems to divert from the trunk at approx where the cut is, and that that looks too close to the ground from pics of the tree standing. But I think it's a trick of perspective.

This picture definitely looks like the 2 cut edges would fit together, minus the wedge removed to make it fall. You can see where the last little bit cracked and split off as it fell on both ends.

You can also see that originally the tree fell to the right, where the broken branches are lying, they would have hit the ground and the wall then tipped it over to the left where it lies now. You can see the stumps of the branches are a distance from the branches themselves. There is also a steep slope the other slide of the wall, so the weight of the tree would have pulled it down the slope to the lowest point and made it roll to the side until it settled. It's not been moved intentionally, it just rolled when it fell.

It shows a total lack of respect for nature, and for people's enjoyment of that iconic place and view. Shameful! I really don't understand it. The images I've seen are indicative of a person who's familiar with a chainsaw.

It's interesting that these trees, as well having tourism value, hold a place in communities too. For those interested in those things, check out Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor, https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/kilbroney-oak-old-homer-nominated-for-woodland-trusts-tree-of-the-year/41903745.html

I'm not convinced at all that part of the trunk is missing. I understand the view that the branch seems to divert from the trunk at approx where the cut is, and that that looks too close to the ground from pics of the tree standing. But I think it's a trick of perspective.

Yes - a more sideways on photo of the tree when it was standing shows the division in the main trunk lower than it appears in the 'straight through the gap' photos.
Anyway, for a non-sensationalist media report here's the Times.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/27388f34-5df3-11ee-88d6-eacc4268cc5d?shareToken=74e3ce3bca67ce322594a28224c92286

Absolutely awful and so sad. Why on Earth would someone do that?
They should be imprisoned for a few months.
Quite honestly someone that deranged doesn’t sound very safe to have around society anyway.
If it was some 16 year old what harm will he start inflicting on people next just for ‘social media status/ internet likes’.

I don't understand why he would get "likes". I have a 16yo and she and her friends would not "like" this on TikTok or Insta or whatever. They would think it was pathetic and idiotic.

When I told DD about it her immediate response was, "Why?" followed by, "I bet it was a boy. Only a boy could be thick enough to do something like that. I hope the next tree falls on him."

Another day, another older teen boy doing something incomprehensible.
This isn't teenage high jinxs. It is criminal damage.
Of course he will be dealt with but I am more interested in why he did it and what can we do for future generations to prevent the slide of moral decency being experienced across the country.

OnlyTheBravest "Of course he will be dealt with but I am more interested in why he did it and what can we do for future generations to prevent the slide of moral decency being experienced across the country."

Exactly this.
We need to get into the mind of those people who cause these senseless, stupid acts and find out what causes them to do these thing, so that we can possibly reduce the chances of it happenning in future. Also agreement with the poster who suggested they do a few years community work, (something arborial ?) as it's a far better suggestion than banging them away in prison.

Name changed for this

Word around here is that he’s a previous National Trust Employee, having been sacked.

He threatened to cut it down if they sacked him. If it’s true, he obviously followed through with the threat.

I don't think the national trust employ 16 year olds, do they?!