A Legacy of Hope Sprouts from Tragedy
In a powerful act of regeneration, the National Trust has begun planting 49 saplings cultivated from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, which was illegally felled on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland during a stormy night in September 2023. The destruction of one of Britain's most beloved trees sparked widespread public anger, but a swift conservation response has now given it a new lease on life.
The initiative, dubbed "trees of hope," was launched during National Tree Week, with the first plantings taking place on Saturday. The 49 saplings, each one representing a foot in height of the original tree, were grown from seeds collected in the aftermath of the felling. These young trees, now standing between four and six feet tall, will be established in publicly accessible spaces across the country, chosen from nearly 500 applications.
Poignant Locations for a Symbol of Resilience
The first five saplings were planted at sites with deep historical and emotional significance. One has found a home at Greenham Common in Berkshire, next to a former military control tower. This site was central to the women's peace camps of the 1980s, a massive female-led protest against nuclear weapons. Helen Beard of the Greener Greenham Common Group stated the sapling serves as "a powerful way to spread a message of hope – for nature, our environment and for peace."
Another sapling was planted in Strabane, County Tyrone, a town profoundly affected by the Troubles. The tree stands as a symbol of the community's "collective journey towards healing" and also pays tribute to a beloved local resident, John Gallagher, who died from motor neurone disease.
The other initial plantings include:
- A site commemorating the Minnie Pit mining disaster in Staffordshire.
- The Tree Sanctuary in Coventry, a project initiated by three teenage friends.
- Coton Orchard in Cambridgeshire for a grassroots pollinator project, planted by renowned Cambridge economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta.
A Growing Legacy for the Future
Further plantings are scheduled throughout the week at locations including the Rob Burrow centre for motor neurone disease in Leeds, Hexham general hospital in Northumberland, and the veterans' charity Veterans in Crisis in Sunderland.
Andrew Poad, general manager for the National Trust’s Hadrian’s Wall properties, expressed his confidence in the project, noting, "sycamores are so hardy, we’re confident they’ll be able to withstand a range of conditions." Hilary McGrady, the Trust's director general, credited the "quick thinking of our conservationists" for ensuring the Sycamore Gap tree could live on in this inspirational new form, transforming an act of vandalism into a nationwide symbol of hope and regrowth.
