New shoots regrow from Sycamore Gap tree stump three years after felling
National Trust rangers say a thicket of new shoots has regrown from the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree stump three years on.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
New shoots have regrown from the stump of the Sycamore Gap tree, three years after it was illegally cut down, according to the National Trust. Rangers at the site beside Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland say a thicket of new growth has emerged from the remaining stump.
The tree was one of the most photographed in the world. It stood in a dip in the Northumberland hills and had sat beside Hadrian's Wall since the 1800s. Visitors were drawn to its sky-reaching branches. The latest photographs show more stump than statuesque shape, but walkers said the new growth gave them hope.
One walker said: 'It's just emotional and I feel like there's hope in the world again that it's grown.' Another said: 'It's coming back to life, sort of thing. I guess it makes me feel that there's hope because out of one tree which was here, a huge and hugely popular tree, we now have lots of smaller sprouting trees which gives some hope for the future.'
The tree was felled on 28 September 2023 by two men from Carlisle with a chainsaw, who filmed themselves doing it. In 2025, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were jailed for four years. They never explained why they targeted the well-loved landmark.
The Victorian tree quickly showed signs of new life. The National Trust fenced off the stump to see if it would recover. It also took seedlings, tended to them in secret and gave saplings to charities around the country, including Dementia Forward in York.
A representative from Dementia Forward said: 'I think that is absolutely incredible. It really fits with our feelings about the tree, actually, that there can be hope and there can be light in dark times and that new life can spring.'
Key facts
- The tree was felled on 28 September 2023.
- Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were jailed for four years in 2025.
- The National Trust fenced off the stump and sent saplings to charities including Dementia Forward in York.
The National Trust says the new growth is encouraging. It hopes the sprouts will flourish like the sycamore before them.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were jailed for four years in 2025 for felling the Sycamore Gap tree and did not explain their motive. | |
| National Trust rangers reported that new shoots have regrown from the Sycamore Gap tree stump about three years after it was illegally cut down. | |
| The Sycamore Gap tree was illegally cut down on 28 September 2023 by two men from Carlisle using a chainsaw, who filmed the act. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 gave the story a hopeful, human-interest treatment, leading with the return of new shoots and the reactions of walkers. It set the regrowth against the felling and the later convictions, and it followed the National Trust's wider work with seedlings and charity saplings. The segment closed the Evening News on an upbeat note.
- “National Trust Rangers at the site by Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland say a thicket of new shoots has regrown three years after the tree was illegally chopped down.”
- “It's just emotional and I feel like there's hope in the world again that it's grown.”
- “I think that is absolutely incredible. It really fits with our feelings about the tree, actually, that there can be hope and there can be light in dark times and that new life can spring.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.