Who cut down the Sycamore Gap tree? Everything we know
What's happening? The Sycamore Gap tree that was unlawfully cut down last year is to go on public display.
Northumberland National Park said it had received about 2,000 "heartfelt" messages from all over the world expressing sadness after the famous tree was illegally felled in September.
It said the largest section of the toppled tree will go on display at The Sill, a nearby tourist attraction, in September.
The park is still deciding what to do at the original site next to Hadrian's Wall near Crag Lough, Northumberland - suggestions include leaving the stump in the hope it grows; turning the area into a place of reflection or making pieces of the felled tree into art installations.
Tony Gates, chief executive officer of Northumberland National Park, said: “The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree has shown just how much nature and landscape mean to people and to their very well-being.
"As stewards of the legacy of Sycamore Gap, the partners have been humbled by the outpouring of love and emotion for the tree.
"We understand the diversity of opinions surrounding a future legacy and are committed to navigating this journey with the utmost care and respect."
In December, the National Trust, which owns the land on which the tree stood, said it was hopeful the sycamore will live on after scientists found that salvaged seeds and cuttings were showing positive signs of being viable for new growth.
It is also hopeful that the trunk of the original tree will regrow, but it may be up to three years before this is known for sure.
Read more: Britain's Sycamore Gap tree 'deliberately felled' (Reuters)
Yahoo News rounds up everything we know so far about the fallen iconic landmark.
Who cut down the Sycamore Gap?
Four people have been arrested in connection with the destruction of the tree.
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy within hours of its felling, then arrested a man in his 60s several days later.
The teenager was later informed he would face no further action and, in December, the man in his 60s was told the same.
At the beginning of November, police announced they had arrested two more people over the deliberate felling.
Northumbria Police said two men, both aged in their 30s, were arrested on 31 October on suspicion of criminal damage.
They have both since been released on bail as enquiries continue, the force said.
An online petition has been launched calling for tough measures for the "vandals" responsible, including them having to plant 10,000 trees as community service.
The petition, started by preservationist Kim Whitehouse, said those responsible should be charged with vandalism to "send a strong message that such acts will not be tolerated".
It added that they should "contribute positively towards rectifying their destructive actions" through community service, saying: "To ensure meaningful restitution for their crime against nature and history, I recommend that each person involved in this heinous act commit to planting 10,000 trees in the local community."
Read more: Sycamore Gap: what the long life of a single tree can tell us about centuries of change (The Conversation)
Where was the Sycamore Gap tree?
The frequently photographed tree, made famous when it appeared in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, was located next to Hadrian’s Wall and close to the village of Once Brewed.
The Northumberland landmark, which inspired its own beer in the nearby Twice Brewed Inn, was described as one of the most photographed in the country and was awarded Tree of the Year in 2016.
A reward of a £1,500 bar tab has been offered by the pub for anyone with information that could help find who chopped the iconic tree down.
The 50ft tree was looked after by the Northumberland National Park Authority and the National Trust.
The tree has been removed from the site by a crane, and is now being kept at a storage facility by the National Trust.
Read more: Where is the Sycamore Gap and how old was the tree? (Evening Standard)
Where is the Sycamore Gap tree now?
The Sycamore Gap tree is reportedly being stored in a secret location to protect it from souvenir hunters.
According to the Sunday Times, police caught several members of the public trying to take pieces of the tree from the site where it was felled.
The tree has since been removed from the site by a crane, and is now being kept at a storage facility by the National Trust.
Lady Jane Gibson, chairwoman of the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, told the Sunday Times: “The wood from the tree has been taken away and stored for safekeeping at a secure location.
“There were concerns people were taking pieces of it for mementoes, like what happened with the Berlin Wall, when people would take a piece as a keepsake.
“It is now being safely stored as we work on potential future uses for the timber.”
The National Trust has asked the public for suggestions on what to do with the leftover wood from the felled tree, with options including turning it into a bench where the tree once stood, or even making it into pencils.
Read more: Two more people arrested in connection with vandalism of Sycamore Gap(Sky News)
How old was the Sycamore Gap tree?
The tree was estimated to have been at least 300 years old and while experts have said new shoots are expected to grow from it, the tree will never be the same again.
National Trust general manager Andrew Poad said the stump was “healthy” and staff might be able to coppice the tree – a technique allowing new shoots to grow from the base of a trunk.
Rob Ternent, head gardener at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, said the tree will start growing again but “won’t ever be the same shape or as good of a tree as it was”.
He said: “It’s worth a try but I think livestock and wildlife will potentially damage it as well. It’ll be very difficult to get it back to the original tree.
“The growing season’s coming to an end now but by spring next year it will have some life in it. It’ll probably be about eight foot tall, but it’ll be lots of singular branches, more bushy.
“It was about 300 years old so it’ll take a long time to get back to that size. It’s a massive shame.”
Read more: Could the tree at Sycamore Gap be saved - and why is it so famous? (Sky News)
Hadrian’s Wall damaged
Heritage crime specialists working for Historic England have discovered minor damage to Hadrian’s Wall – and say it was done by those responsible for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree.
Hadrian’s Wall is 1,900 years old and is a Unesco world heritage site.
A Historic England spokeswoman told The Times: “We appreciate how strongly people feel about the loss of the tree, and its impact on this special historic landscape, and will continue to work closely with others as this progresses.”
The National Trust has now begun discussions with stakeholders about the future of the site.
Read more:Hadrian’s Wall damaged as National Trust flooded with offers of help(The Independent)
