Sycamore Gap tree latest: Future of felling site to be decided after as National Trust inundated with messages of support

The National Trust has said it has been “overwhelmed” by the support shown by members of the public wanting to help fix or replace the Sycamore Gap tree.

The governing body of protected sites in the UK, which manages the land where the felled tree stood, has been inundated with thousands of messages and hundreds of offers of help.

Offers of help and ideas for the future of the tree have ranged from art installations and craftspeople offering their skills, to fundraising initiatives.

A spokesperson for the charity told The Independent that in the “immediate term” its priority is to “ensure safety” at the site as it beings discussions with stakeholders about what to do with the iconic maple.

“It is clear this tree was special to many, many people,” the spokesperson said. “In the immediate term, our priority has been to ensure the safety of the site, and the tree, and to support staff and the local community coming to terms with the news.

“We are beginning discussions with stakeholders about the future of the site, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and will be working with Northumberland National Park and local people to decide the best way forward. We will inform people as soon as we know.”

Who cut it down and can the Sycamore Gap tree be saved?

Those are the questions still at the forefront of the minds of tree lovers everywhere from Northumberland to Newquay some four days after the iconic maple was chopped down.

Distraught celebrities and politicians were among those to express their outrage at the felling of the “iconic” tree, described by police as a “deliberate act of vandalism”.

Here’s everything we know so far as officers continue to hunt for the culprit.

Two women in Northumberland have crocheted a postbox topper in a “lovely” tribute to the historic Sycamore Gap tree that was felled last week.

Carrie Page, 51, and Christine Hopper, 63, worked together to crochet the decorative topper featuring a green base and tree in the centre with varying shades of green leaves and branches.

The pair, who own separate shops in the same building opposite the postbox in Hexham, around 14 miles from the site of the Sycamore Gap tree, were motivated to create the tribute after locals were “angry, shocked and upset” at its destruction.

They placed the topper – which was dubbed “such a lovely gesture” by a local resident – outside their shops on September 30, and have since seen people taking photos of their work and sharing it on social media.

In her latest exclusive poem, Frieda Hughes mourns the late, great tree at Hadrian’s Wall – and also muses on what it feels like to be a ‘fugitive’ in London, late at night…

Read the poem in full here:

Broadcaster Alastair Campbell has become as well known for his daily picture posts of trees as he is for his political punditry. Here, he reflects on why the Hadrian’s Wall sycamore matters and some of his recent favourite tree ‘spots’

Read Alastair’s full piece here:

Those are the questions still at the forefront of the minds of tree lovers everywhere from Northumberland to Newquay some four days after the iconic maple was chopped down.

Perhaps this once magnificent tree, reduced overnight to lumber, might become a symbol of a new enlightenment, writes ‘The Secret Life of Trees’ author Colin Tudge

Read the full piece here:

One of the UK’s most photographed trees has come down overnight after being “deliberately felled,” the Northumberland National Park Authority has said.

The famous tree at Sycamore Gap, next to Hadrian’s Wall, was made famous by actor Kevin Costner when it appeared in his 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.

“Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does,” is the devastating verdict of experts on the iconic Sycamore Gap tree after it was felled.

With police believing it to be a deliberate act of vandalism, the chainsaw-cutting down of the world-famous tree next to Hadrian’s Wall, in Northumberland, has triggered widespread outrage and sorrow.

A man who planted a sapling near the Sycamore Gap tree says he is ‘devastated’ after it was removed – and has responded to those who have criticised him on social media.