The tree stood for nearly 200 years next to the Roman landmark Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in northern England in connection with what authorities described as the “deliberate” felling of a famous tree that had stood for nearly 200 years next to the Roman landmark Hadrian’s Wall.
Thousands of visitors each year walk along Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that guarded the Roman Empire’s northwestern frontier.
Many pause to admire and photograph the tree at Sycamore Gap, a beloved icon of the landscape made famous when it appeared in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.
Photographs from the scene on Thursday showed the tree was cut down near the base of its trunk, with the rest of it lying on its side.
Northumbria Police said the teen was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage. He was in police custody and assisting officers with their inquiries.
“The tree is a world-renowned landmark and the vandalism has caused understandable shock and anger throughout the local community and beyond,” police said in a statement.
“This is an incredibly sad day,” police Superintendent Kevin Waring said. “The tree was iconic to the North East and enjoyed by so many who live in or who have visited this region.”
The Northumberland National Park authority asked the public not to visit the felled tree, which was voted English Tree of the Year in 2016.
Alison Hawkins, who was walking on the Hadrian’s Wall path, was one of the first people who saw the destruction.
“It was a proper shock. It’s basically the iconic picture that everyone wants to see,” she said. “You can forgive nature doing it – but you can’t forgive that.”
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Has anyone reported on his reason for taking the tree down?
It’s interesting we care so much about this one tree but not the forests getting razed elsewhere.
I’ve heard the dad put the lad up to it. He was tired of people walking across his land to take pictures of the tree. Allegedly I don’t have any proof for any of this other than word of mouth. I’ve also read it’s unlikely a 16yo that can’t drive got (what must have been a very large) chainsaw to the tree in the night during stormy weather and cut a tree down in a way that people claim to be more advanced than an amateur tree feller could. Again all conjecture but the comments I’ve seen making these claims went into details on they why’s they thought that and it felt convincing but I don’t know much on the topic. Either way it’s a tragedy, the tree had been there 100’s of years.
If he grew up on a farm he can drive. Just not on the roads, yet.
The speculation does not seem that plausible. Farmers don’t make money from farming, they make money from land values. I would think the tree increases the value of the land, simply because it is so famous.
Don’t think the tree was on his land, just that people cut across his land to get to the tree