Photos Of The Sycamore Gap Tree

Nature

The iconic tree was found felled on Thursday in an act of suspected vandalism.

ByNicole Bonaccorso•September 29, 2023

The famous tree is seen at Sycamore Gap, at Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough, Northumberland, U.K.
(Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

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The U.K., and the world, is mourning the death of an iconic Northumberland tree lost to suspected vandalism.

The tree, which is believed to have been felled Wednesday night or early Thursday, was, according to police superintendent Kevin Waring, "a world-renowned landmark" and its loss has "caused significant shock, sadness and anger throughout the local community and beyond."

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The Milky Way is seen above the Sycamore Gap Tree along Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland National Park, U.K.
(Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall is photographed in Hexham, U.K. Last year was the 1900th anniversary of the building of the first phase of Hadrian's Wall. The wall is named after Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ordered its construction in AD122. At 80 miles long, it was north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years.
(Forsyth/Getty Images)

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of criminal damage. He has since been released on bail.

(MORE: Iconic British Tree Cut Down, Teenager Arrested)

The tree's unique growing place, a natural dip in the rolling hills of Northumberland National Park along the ancient Hadrian's Wall, lended to the epic landscape and made for great photography. The tree became a popular landmark with visitors to the park.

The Sycamore Gap Tree on Hadrian's Wall is photographed from above during winter in Northumberland, U.K., in 2018.
(Historic England Archive/Heritage Images via Getty Images)

The tree was featured in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and was named English Tree of the Year in a 2016 competition organized by the Woodland Trust.

Hadrian’s Wall celebrated its 1900th anniversary since beginning of construction on Aug. 27, 2022. The wall is named after Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ordered its construction in AD122. At 80 miles long it was north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years.
(Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

The Northern Lights are seen above the Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland, U.K.
(Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

A picture taken on June 4, 2023, shows visitors hiking past the Sycamore Gap tree along Hadrian's Wall near Hexham, northern England. One of the UK's most photographed trees, located next to the Roman-era Hadrian's Wall in northeast England, has been "deliberately felled," the authority responsible for the local National Park said on Sept. 28, 2023.
(Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

A picture taken on June 4, 2023, shows the Sycamore Gap tree along Hadrian's Wall near Hexham, northern England just months before it was felled.
(Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

The tree's loss led to an outpouring of emotion, as it had become an emblem of the U.K.'s northeast region. It was one of the most photographed trees in the U.K.

A hiker walks near the Sycamore Gap Tree in 2022.
(Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

The tree is seen under a dark sky in winter along Hadrian's Wall in Northumbria National Park.
(Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Senior editor Nicole Bonaccorso works as weather.com's photo editor and writes about breaking news, travel, climate and more.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.