Northumberland’s most infamous attraction, The Sycamore Gap Tree, is being restored by The National Trust, eight months since it was felled.
The Tree was felled in September 2023. The timing of the felling was crucial as the tree was in the growth stage of it’s annual cycle.
For the first time in the around 200 year lifespan of Britain’s most photographed tree, all that remained in the gap was it’s stump.
Since the felling…
The National Trust has began the restoration of the tree that appeared in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
The National Trust’s Plant Conservation Centre has been growing the seedlings and buds from the original tree, and since last December, the seedlings began ‘showing signs of life’.
The first was budding, where one bud from the tree is joined to rootstock (an underground stem with a well developed root that can be used to support above-ground growth) from the same species.
Secondly, there are two forms of grafting, ‘Whip and tongue’ and ‘apical wedge’ where a tree cutting and a rootstock are joined together using corresponding cuts from the seedlings.
The National Trust Gardens and Parklands Director, Andrew Jasper, says: “All our techniques are delivered with a remarkable care and precision by our conservationists.
“They are providing a legacy for this much-loved tree and while there’s a way to go before we have true saplings, we’ll keep everything crossed that these plants continue to grow stronger and enjoyed by many in the future.”
Both of the above methods should inspire the growth of genetically identical replicas of the original tree.
All of the seedlings are checked for diseases before they are put into a peat-free compost mix. Of those planted dozens are now sprouting.
Moving forward…
There is a sense that the current progress is good after the initial shock of the tree’s felling.
Tony Gates, Northumberland National Park CEO, said: “I was at Sycamore Gap in the immediate hours following the felling of the tree. A team from the National Trust arrived to collect seed and other material from the tree.
“The seed did not appear to be mature enough and the chances of success appeared slim, but the idea of a direct link from the tree, at the time of it being felled, was a powerful one.
“How great it is that experts have been able to bring us this direct connection and refreshed hope. I look forward to working with the National Trust as we see how these beacons can send hope far beyond Northumberland.”
While, it will take time for any of the seedlings to resemble the original tree, the current signs from the National Trust suggest that future generations will be able to once again experience the Sycamore Gap Tree.
