Seeing the Sycamore gap tree remnants

Written By Chris Shirley MA FRGS

Image credit: Haus of Hiatus

The Sycamore Gap tree, also known as the ‘Robin Hood tree’, stood proudly beside Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland, England. Nestled within a striking dip in the landscape, shaped by ancient glacial meltwater, it became a beloved subject for photographers and a symbol of the Northeast of England. Its fame was further cemented by its appearance in the prominent scene of the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."

 

This majestic tree earned recognition beyond its cinematic fame, winning the prestigious 2016 England Tree of the Year award. However, its story took a tragic turn on the early morning of September 28, 2023, when it was senselessly felled in what authorities deemed "an act of vandalism," sparking widespread outrage and grief.

 

Going to survey the Haughton Green bothy on the Pennine way meant that I got to see the Sycamore gap remnants up close.

 

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Chris Shirley MA FRGS

About the Author:

Chris is the founder of Hiatus.Design, a strategic branding, design and communications company that works with clients all over the world.

Over the course of his life, he has travelled to more than 60 countries across six continents, earned two Guinness World Records, completed the legendary Marathon des Sables, summited Mont Blanc and unclimbed peaks in Asia, become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and obtained a Masterʼs degree in Business Management (MA).

https://www.hiatus.design
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