Two years after the iconic Sycamore Gap tree was illegally felled, the National Trust has announced a major creative commission, inviting artists and organisations to use half of the timber to create a nationally important work. The trust aims to transform a sense of loss into hope and reconnection with nature.
The tree, thought to have been planted in the late 19th century by landowner John Clayton, was cut down during Storm Agnes in September 2023 by Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers from Cumbria. It had become an emblem of north-east England, hosting countless marriage proposals and ash scatterings, and its felling sparked international sadness and debate about humanity's relationship with nature.
Annie Reilly, the National Trust's public engagement director, said: 'Two years ago, we lost something very special from a much-loved landscape. This commission is a way of marking that iconic tree's legacy while continuing an important conversation about our collective relationship with nature.' She added that the trust wants proposals that 'breathe life' into the wood.
Submissions will be accepted from 13 October to 17 November, with up to five shortlisted proposals receiving £5,000 to develop their ideas. A public vote will determine the winner, announced in February 2026, with a £200,000 budget for the final work. The trust encourages proposals that can reach a mass audience across the UK.
The remaining wood has been seasoned, with the largest section on display at The Sill visitor centre near Sycamore Gap. Saplings from the tree, known as 'trees of hope', have been given to good causes including Alder Hey children's hospital and the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.
