Incredible! A teenager cuts down the most famous tree in England
The emblematic tree was visited by thousands of tourists every year due to the popularity it acquired when appearing in a movie. It was located next to Hadrian's Wall.
The park rangers of Northumberland National Park woke up on Thursday and were in shock when they discovered that the most famous tree of the site had been deliberately cut down during the night and destroyed forever. So far, there is a 16-year-old teenager in custody suspected of committing this vandalism.
The tree, known as Sycamore Gap, was between 200 and 300 years old and was a white maple. But why was he so famous? For several reasons. His popularity began when in 1991 he appeared in the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner. He later earned the secondary nickname of Robin Hood Tree and appeared in the music video for Bryan Adams' number one full-length single "(Everything I do) I do it for you".
In 2003 it was news again, when it narrowly escaped damage when a helicopter filming a British television program crashed a few meters away. And later, in 2016, he regained worldwide fame by winning Britain's Tree of the Year award
In addition, the Sycamore is one of the most photographed trees in the world, with its imposing figure between the two slopes of the hills, the postcard was iconic. Thousands of tourists came to the region every week to get to know this emblematic tree. "This is an incredibly sad day. The tree was iconic in the northeast and is enjoyed by many people who live or have visited this region," said Superintendent Kevin Waring. "It was a popular place for important personal events, such as marriage proposals and ashes spread."
And as if all this did not give him popularity, he was next to Hadrian's Wall, an old defensive fortification created in the year 122. This wall is one of the main tourist attractions of Great Britain and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Many people walk along Hadrian's Wall for charitable purposes and the tree is a meeting and resting point in the middle of the challenging route.
Discomfort and anger
The astonishment is total. "It's the heart of the northeast," he told Anna Foster of BBC Radio Newcastle. "I don't think people realize the impact this will have; it's like knocking down the Tyne Bridge or the revolving bridge in Newcastle, it's just as monumental."
Photographer Ian Sproat ran to the place from his home in North Shields when he heard the news. Just a week ago, his photograph that showed for the last time the tree with the aurora borealis as a backdrop traveled the world. We had one of the best northern lights shows that the northeast has ever seen, they filled the Sycamore Gap, it was simply beautiful. It's something I'll always remember as my last shot of the tree."
He hopes that, although the initial impact will be "devastating" for tourism and the locals, the remains of the tree can be used near the place. "The tree itself can be used for something around Sycamore Gap," they suggested. "It's not as easy as people think: just put another tree there, since it's been growing for many years. I hope something good comes out of this, but right now it's just devastating."
"There are many highly trained people in the area and artists and the like. In Japan, when a tree falls, it is nailed to the ground. Maybe they could do that," said one of the neighbors. The National Trust said that it would collect seeds and cutlets from the tree, but that the new specimen "would not be the same."