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Journalism of Courage
A 300-year-old tree in England that was famous for its beauty and unique location was cut down by a teenage boy, in what is being seen as a deliberate act of vandalism. It resulted in the launch of an investigation and the boy’s arrest on Thursday (September 28). His motive is not clear yet.
The sycamore tree was located in a dip between two hills, at a gap in the Hadrian Wall – an old stone structure that is close to the border between England and Scotland – in Northumberland, northern England.
The National Trust, which looks after the preservation of historical and natural places of importance, said that the ‘gaps’ are essentially channels, which were “naturally chipped away by vast amounts of meltwater flowing beneath the ice sheets that once covered the area,” thousands of years ago. The spot was named by an employee of the National Trust when a review of maps was being undertaken.
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll posted on X, “People have had their ashes scattered there. People have proposed there. I’ve picnicked there with my wife and kids. It’s part of our collective soul. We must bring whoever did this to justice.” The Hadrian Wall’s sycamore tree was believed to be the most photographed spot in the Northumberland National Park. It was also seen in the 1991 Hollywood film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and its felling is being seen as a cultural loss for the region.
Roots of Sycamore
Sycamore trees can become extremely tall as they mature – reaching a height of up to 35 metres. They are commonly found in the UK and have leaves similar to that of a maple tree. A sycamore can live for as long as 400 years, according to the UK’s Woodland Trust website.
Native to central, eastern and southern Europe, it is believed to have been introduced to the UK by the Romans or in the Tudor era around the 1500s. Widespread planting led to the species becoming extremely common in the UK by the mid-1800s.
“The seed is extremely fertile, so sycamore has spread quickly across the UK and colonised many woodlands to the detriment of native species,” the Trust said. As its wood is considered strong and hard, amenable to carving, it is also used to make decoratively carved wooden spoons in Wales. The ‘love spoons’ are named so as they are given as a romantic gesture.
UNESCO Heritage site
The Hadrian Wall is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site called the ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’ and is found in the UK and Germany.
“The Roman Empire, in its territorial extent, was one of the greatest empires history has known. Enclosing the Mediterranean world and surrounding areas, it was protected by a network of frontiers stretching from the Atlantic Coast in the west to the Black Sea in the east, from central Scotland in the north to the northern fringes of the Sahara Desert in the south,” the website says.
The Empire reached its greatest extent around the second AD. This stone frontier would then be of protective use and often had forts close to it. The larger frontier includes various sections, including the Hadrian Wall, which runs along 118 km. It was built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian (circa AD 122) at the northernmost limits of the Roman province of Britannia. “It is a striking example of the organization of a military zone and illustrates the defensive techniques and geopolitical strategies of ancient Rome,” UNESCO states.
