HADRIAN'S Wall was damaged during the felling of a nearby world-famous tree, inspectors have found.
The Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland, believed to have been about 300 years old, was cut down overnight between Wednesday and Thursday last week, in what detectives have called a “deliberate act of vandalism”.
Early signs suggest historical landmark Hadrian’s Wall, which stands next to where the sycamore had been, sustained “some damage”, preservation body Historic England has said.
It comes after Northumbria Police arrested a man in his 60s and a 16-year-old boy in connection with the incident.
READ MORE: New vision for Royal High School in Edinburgh revealed
Both have been released on bail.
A Historic England statement read: “We visited Sycamore Gap on Friday for a preliminary inspection.
“Whilst we identified that Hadrian’s Wall has sustained some damage, we have not been able to access the site to carry out a full investigation so a further archaeological appraisal will take place once the site is considered safe.
“As the government’s heritage adviser, we are involved because Hadrian’s Wall is protected as a scheduled monument.
“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 key partners as this progresses.”
The wall, built by the Roman army on the orders of emperor Hadrian, has Unesco World Heritage status.
The sycamore was looked after by Northumberland National Park Authority and the National Trust.
READ MORE: Scottish author's book makes Time's list of best ever mystery novels
It was among the UK’s most photographed trees and was made famous in a scene in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.
Experts have said new shoots are expected to grow from the tree but it will never be the same again.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel