Sycamore Gap tree ‘stored in secret location over souvenir hunter fears’
According to the Sunday Times, police caught several members of the public trying to take pieces of the tree from the site where it was felled.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Sycamore Gap tree is being stored in a secret location to protect it from souvenir hunters, it has been reported.
According to the Sunday Times, police caught several members of the public trying to take pieces of the tree from the site where it was felled near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland.
The tree has since been removed from the site by a crane, and is now being kept at a storage facility by the National Trust.
Much-photographed and painted, the lone sycamore is considered to be one of the most famous trees in the world and an emblem for the North East of England.
It was situated in a dramatic dip in the Northumberland landscape.
Lady Jane Gibson, chairwoman of the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, told the Sunday Times: “The wood from the tree has been taken away and stored for safekeeping at a secure location.
“There were concerns people were taking pieces of it for mementoes, like what happened with the Berlin Wall, when people would take a piece as a keepsake.
“It is now being safely stored as we work on potential future uses for the timber.”
The National Trust has asked the public for suggestions on what to do with the leftover wood from the felled tree, with options including turning it into a bench where the tree once stood, or even making it into pencils.