There is apparently hope for the “Robin Hood” tree: new shoots could grow from the stump of the tree. The illegal felling of the sycamore maple caused consternation in England.
The illegally felled sycamore maple tree in north-east England known as the Robin Hood tree may be able to be saved, according to the head of the National Trust. The tree is “very healthy” so new shoots can grow from its stump as a so-called coppice, said National Trust chairman Andrew Poad.
Poad told the BBC that if new shoots sprouted from the stump and it was possible to support their growth, then this would be “one of the best possible scenarios”. Poad: “Then we can save the tree.”
Apparently liked intentionally
Walkers discovered the sawn-down tree on Thursday morning. The sycamore tree, which stood 60 kilometers west of Newcastle in northeast England, had apparently been deliberately felled during the stormy night.
The cut resembled that of a chainsaw. The tree had fallen over onto Hadrian’s Wall, which ran next to it, and only the stump is still standing. Markings with white paint can also be seen on the stump.
It is considered one of the most photographed trees in Great Britain: the “Robin Hood” tree in northeast England – before it was felled.
16-year-old released on bail
A 16-year-old was subsequently arrested – and has since been released on bail. Northumbria Police charged him with criminal damage. The investigators said on Thursday that they were still at the beginning of their work on the “senseless crime” and were investigating in all directions.
“Senseless vandalism”
Because of its impressive location on the edge of the Roman Hadrian’s Wall, the tree was the backdrop for a central scene in the 1991 film “Robin Hood” starring Kevin Costner. It is considered one of the most photographed trees in Britain.
After the felling of the “Sycamore Tree” became known, numerous people expressed their dismay on online networks and shared memories associated with it. A user wrote on Facebook that he proposed to his wife by the tree.
Local MP Mary Foy called the alleged felling of the tree a “heartbreaking act of senseless vandalism of a much-loved and iconic North East landmark” that would upset “many people across the country – and even the world”.