The Felled Sycamore Gap Tree Is Growing Back, With Shoots Already 3 Feet Tall
Three years after vandals illegally felled the famous Sycamore Gap tree in England, a ring of new shoots up to 3 feet tall is growing from its stump, and the National Trust says recovery measures are working.
Three years after vandals illegally cut down the famous Sycamore Gap tree beside Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, England, a thick ring of new shoots is growing from its stump — some already 2 to 3 feet tall, according to Good News Network.
A clean cut that left a chance to regrow
The 150-year-old tree, one of the UK's most photographed, was felled in 2023 in a widely condemned act of vandalism. Arborists believed the clean chainsaw cut might still allow the stump to regrow, and the National Trust has spent the years since reducing soil compaction around its roots and limiting human disturbance at the site.
"These flourishing shoots are really encouraging"
National Trust general manager Andrew Poad said the new growth shows the special care measures are paying off. The shoots could provide shade again within about a decade, though fully restoring the tree to its former size and shape could take as long as 150 years.
A living legacy spreading beyond the site
Separately, 49 saplings grown from the felled tree's seeds have already been distributed to communities across the UK — meaning the Sycamore Gap tree's genetic legacy is now taking root in dozens of places well beyond Hadrian's Wall.
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