A sequel at Sycamore Gap: Felled ‘Robin Hood’ tree sprouts new hope

The Sycamore Gap tree stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historic Hadrian’s Wall.

An iconic tree beside an ancient Roman wall with a supporting role in a Hollywood blockbuster is showing signs of life, three years after two attention-seeking pranksters reduced it to a stump.

A thick ring of new shoots nearly 1m tall has been seen around the Sycamore Gap tree, which found global fame when it was featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner.

The tree, in Northumberland, England, was cut down by Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers on Sept 28, 2023.

This act of malicious mischief sparked outrage from many fans of the tree, which is believed to be at least 120 years old when it was felled.

Britain’s National Trust, which owns the site, fenced the stump off, hoping it might grow back.

Now, Andrew Poad, general manager for the charity, which owns the site, said the growth has left him “filled with hope”.

“These flourishing shoots are really encouraging and show that the special measures we’ve taken, including reducing soil compaction around the roots and limiting human disturbance, are paying off,” he told British newspaper Metro.

“We’re grateful to all the visitors who, through the care they are taking, are supporting our efforts to protect the tree and give it the best possible chance to thrive,” Poad added.

Planted in the late 1800s at the centre of a dramatic dip beside Hadrian’s Wall, the Sycamore Gap tree became a favourite subject and destination for photographers, artists and sightseers.

A thick layer of new shoots now surrounds the Sycamore Gap stump.

In the late hours between Sept 27 and Sept 28, 2023, Graham and Carruthers drove to the tree and cut it down with a chainsaw before taking a section of it back to Carlisle, a city in northern England, according to court records.

As public grief and anger spread the following day, the pair exchanged messages revelling in the reaction, according to prosecutors.

The fallen tree also damaged Hadrian’s Wall, built by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago to mark the northernmost edge of their empire.

Prosecutor Richard Wright said during the trial that Graham and Carruthers had been on a “moronic mission” to commit “mindless vandalism”.

Graham, a groundworker from near Carlisle, and Carruthers, a mechanic from Wigton, never explained their motive and sought to blame each other during their trial.

The two men, who were 39 and 32 at the time, were sentenced in July 2025 to four years and three months in prison for criminal damage to the tree and wall.