Two men are headed to trial today for allegedly cutting down Britain's famous Sycamore Gap tree last year. The 150-year-old tree stood symmetrically in a dip between two hills in northern England and was a major tourist attraction. See photos here.
The tree stood alongside a portion of Hadrian’s Wall, a 73-mile stone barrier built by Roman Emperor Hadrian in 122 CE to protect the empire's northwest frontier. The accompanying tree was planted in the late 1800s by landowner John Clayton. Since then, its placement between two Northumberland hills has made it a destination for marriage proposals and other life events. It was featured in the 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves” starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman (watch the scene here).
The tree—valued at roughly $800K—was cut down in September 2023; a motive has not been publicly disclosed. Saplings have since reappeared, indicating the tree may regenerate itself. Learn about an exhibition honoring the tree here.
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