LONDON (AP) — It was neither Britain’s biggest tree nor its oldest. But the majestic sycamore that stood for 150 years along a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England was one of the most beloved.
Perched symmetrically in a dip between two hills, the Sycamore Gap tree had been the site of first kisses, wedding proposals and even a place where the ashes of loved ones were scattered.
When local residents and admirers woke to the news last fall that it had been cut down in the dark of night, they wanted to know why and who could have committed such a senseless act.
On Monday, prosecutors are expected to start providing those answers.
Two men are scheduled to go on trial in Newcastle Crown Court on charges related to toppling the tree and damaging the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire.
Little has been said about the case, including a possible motive, to protect the integrity of the trial and rights of the accused.
Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage. Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeded 620,000 pounds ($790,000) and damage to the wall was assessed at 1,100 pounds ($1,400).
“This is a case that will be instantly recognizable to you, indeed anyone hearing the charges read out,” prosecutor Rebecca Brown said at a court appearance for the two men in May.
“The prosecution say the tree was deliberately felled on Sept. 28 last year and the resultant fall damaged Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site," Brown said. "The prosecution say these defendants are responsible as part of a joint enterprise.”
Word of the tree's demise spread swiftly and the impact reverberated through the wild and scenic Northumberland region.
“I still can’t come to terms with the fact that the tree’s not there,” said Catherine Cape, who lives nearby. “I am still really angry about it. I can’t understand why you would want to destroy something so beautiful.”
The tree became famous after being featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves," and was a big draw for tourism.
Before the tree was cut down, about 80% of the inquiries at Northumberland National Park 's main visitors center were from people planning to walk to the tree, the park's chief executive, Tony Gates, said after the tree was cut down.
The sycamore’s broad canopy framed between two hills had long been a popular draw for landscape photographers and a scenic stop for walkers on the path along the wall.
Cape walked to the tree on her first and second dates with her future husband. They later watched their daughter take her first steps there. And after her mother and sister both died in 2020, she met her brother-in-law and nephews there when they couldn’t gather indoors during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The tree was a huge draw for the guests that stayed at a small cabin Cape owns. Bookings dropped off after the tree was downed but they have largely rebounded.
She used to drive past the tree two or three days a week but now takes the highway instead because she doesn't like to see the empty space on the hillside where it stood.
The sycamore was removed with a crane and taken to a National Trust property for storage. A section of the trunk went on display at the park visitor center this fall and seeds from the tree that were used to grow saplings are being donated for planting around the U.K.
In time, the tree itself may grow back. More than two dozens shoots were discovered sprouting from the stump.
“The tree does still live on, but just not in the form that it was,” Cape said. "We’ll never see it in our lifetime grow into a tree, or what it was before."