THE Sycamore Gap tree – felled in an act of vandalism last month – has been chopped up and will be moved today.
Experts say the 300-year-old 50ft timber was too big to move in one, so it’s been cut into “as large sections as possible”.
PAThe Sycamore Gap tree has been chopped up and will be moved today[/caption]
EPAThree theories as to the tree’s fate have come into the running[/caption]
The trunk will be lifted by crane and moved to an unnamed National Trust property to be safely stored after “every option” was exhausted.
Andrew Poad, general manager of the site, said the tree’s precarious balancing on 1,900-year-old Hadrian’s Wall forced recovery teams to move it.
He said this was to preserve the world-famous Northumberland wall and “to make the site safe again for visitors”.
The September 27 felling of the tree – which appeared in Kevin Costner’s 1991 hit Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – sparked fury across Britain.
A 16-year-old boy and a man aged in his 60s arrested on suspicion of criminal damage remain on bail.
No-one has been charged with the felling, though Northumbria Police’s investigation continues.
The National Trust, who run the site, say a decision on the tree and site is yet to be made, but a public consultation-will take place over coming weeks.
Despite this, three possible solutions have come into the running.
These include creating a bench, carving a memorial sculpture and letting a sapling grow from the stump, which will remain in the ground.
A National Trust spokesperson told The Sun on Wednesday there have been over 200 offers of help.
They added: “Ideas for the future of the tree have ranged from craftspeople offering their skills, to fundraising initiatives.”
The Telegraph understands another idea is to turn parts of the trunk into a bench at the site for visitors to enjoy the view.
The paper adds that an additional option includes carving the tree – planted in the 19th century – into a sculpture that tells its history.
While the National Trust said seeds had been collected by specialist propagators at its Plant Conservation Centre, which could be used for new saplings.
It is too early to say whether the tree would regrow from the stump but multiple stems growing from it was likely, a spokesperson said.
It comes as the charity has warned employees to be on the look out for copycat tree attacks.
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