Obituary of the Sycamore Gap Tree

[Netlist]

Deeply moving news this afternoon about the cutting down of a timeless and completely defenseless ancient icon.
Thousands have stood here and admired the beauty of this landscape.

If any of you have photos or tangible memories of this place, post them here in memory of this unique tree.

Please, no condemnation of the alleged perpetrator, it has not yet been proven who did it.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...amous-sycamore-gap-tree-hadrians-wall-england

Picture: Wikipedia

Hugo

 

[Nisbeth]

I've never been there, but I hope whoever did this gets to spend the next many years doing community service to atone for it.

 

[indianajo]

Saw this beautiful scene on "Walking Hadrian's Wall with Robson Greene" show on PBS. Hoped to visit it one day.
The selfish are burning down the Earth; this beautiful entity was just one of the losses. Myself, I've given up automobiles.

 

[Bonsai]

I was walking there in April with my wife and friends from New Zealand. Beautiful place, now scarred.

Unbelievable.

 

[Bonsai]

Here’s the picture I took - Sunday 23rd April this year. RIP.

 

[brianco]

I live not very far North of this place and find it unbelievable that such a wanton act has taken place.
The latest UK BBC news says that a suspect - a young teenager - has been arrested and is being questioned by the police
though no charges have yet been laid.

 

[Galu]

A view of the felled sycamore:

I heard on the BBC news that the stump of the tree is healthy, giving hope of regeneration.

Stump sprouting is a natural way that fallen trees regenerate, so there may be hope for the future.

Apparently, the sycamore has a tap root that penetrates deep into the ground, reaching down around 100 feet or more.

 

[Salas]

"Police officers and park rangers at the scene said they believed the tree had been sliced skilfully with a sharp chainsaw by someone who knew what they were doing. Locals said they heard nothing during the night due to high winds from Storm Agnes – and woke to find the tree split from its stump."

Is there verified evidence of a tool used to cut it down or rope and vehicle marks to pull it? It could as well had been broken by violent wind? Was in a duct like location, old and top heavy. Bit hard for a modern vandal teenager to have the tools and logging skill to manage such an expert cut during a storm at night.

 

[daqvin_carter]

I doubt any tree could manage to break that clean. It was fairly obvious cut with a good chainsaw.
Also they now have electric chainsaws that are not as noisy as a two stroke model.

 

[Salas]

You are probably right. Just wondering. In any case its a shame... such a scenic landmark.

 

[Netlist]

Some artsy pictures of the scene.
On one of them one can clearly see it has been chainsawed.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2023/sep/28/hadrians-wall-sycamore-gap-tree-in-pictures

It was England's tree of the year in 2016..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_the_Year_(United_Kingdom)

Hugo

 

[system7]

I am Happy to say that P.C. Plod has arrested the perpetrator of this Heinous Crime!

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...amous-sycamore-gap-tree-hadrians-wall-england

The person will plead "Not Guilty" of course. But if I am on the Jury, I will convict! I hate cruelty to plants and trees.

I am busy planting more trees.

This a lovely Mountain Ash:

It has white flowers in Summer and red berries that the birds can eat on cold Winter days. I say this as an Environmentalist.

 

[simon7000]

A bit surprised that the idiot who cut down the tree didn’t injure themselves. It appears they used the saw from both sides of the trunk at the same level.

The safe way to cut down a tree is to control the direction of fall. This is done by cutting a straight cut a good about 2/3 of the way through the tree and then on the side where you want it to fall you do two more cuts to form a “V” below the first cut. Done properly you won’t have a chain saw stuck in a falling tree. You will also have an idea which way it would fall.

Supposedly the ancient Greeks had an appropriate punishment for such a cretin. You cut out their belly button, attach it to a tree, and pull out the intestines wrapping them around the tree, with the perpetrator still attached.

Perhaps a legal scholar can investigate if that punishment is still on the books in the UK!

 

[Netlist]

He is still a suspect until he is found guilty. So I wouldn't draw any premature conclusions.

This is done by cutting a straight cut a good about 2/3 of the way through the tree and then on the side where you want it to fall you do two more cuts to form a “V” below the first cut.

It looks like this is exactly how the tree was cut down:

Supposedly the ancient Greeks had an appropriate punishment for such a cretin.

Fortunately, we now have less barbaric methods to ensure justice prevails.

Hugo

 

[jerryo]

I live just a few miles from Sycamore Gap and I can tell you that this has had a deep and profoundly upsetting effect on the area. The perpetrator will be found and will be universally loathed for the rest of their life and will no doubt have to move county or even country or be held under Police protection. They will never be allowed to live in peace in this area.
The tree was healthy and so given protection from grazing animals should sprout new growth and eventually fill the gap with a new version of itself.

 

[simon7000]

I read the second cut above the first, not below it, also missing the final cut wedge from the image of the remaining trunk.

 

[Netlist]

I read the second cut above the first, not below it, also missing the final cut wedge.

In any case, the perpetrator succeeded...

Hugo

 

[simon7000]

If they allow it, folks can cut off a bit of a new growth branch then put the cut end in a jar of water to encourage roots to form. Then they can plant a new tree. However it must be properly watered for a few months, until the new roots take hold.

With a bit of effort, thousands of new trees can be planted.

 

[simon7000]

In any case, the perpetrator succeeded...

Hugo

If you want to call that success!

 

[batteryman]

"Police officers and park rangers at the scene said they believed the tree had been sliced skilfully with a sharp chainsaw by someone who knew what they were doing. Locals said they heard nothing during the night due to high winds from Storm Agnes – and woke to find the tree split from its stump."

Is there verified evidence of a tool used to cut it down or rope and vehicle marks to pull it? It could as well had been broken by violent wind? Was in a duct like location, old and top heavy. Bit hard for a modern vandal teenager to have the tools and logging skill to manage such an expert cut during a storm at night.

Seriously, you think the wind would leave such a clean CUT. It's obviously a chain saw that was used.