At our monthly Writing is Fun
meetings we decide a prompt for writing for the next meeting. Length is set at
2 pages so we can read them at the meeting. There is quite a diversity of
writing. Some are real life recollections, some fictional vignettes, and
sometimes there's a poem.
The prompt for January 2025 was
New Beginnings. Here's what I wrote.
Hope is Growing - Carol
Kagan
Hadrian's
Wall, built in 122 A.D. on Emperor Hadrian's order to hold out Roman challengers,
is considered an historical marker celebrating the fierceness of the Scots to
prevent a Roman foothold in what is now Scotland. It is a symbol of strength
that has withstood the test of time.
John Clayton’s
family bought property that fell across the Wall. The family's mansion house included
a Roman fort in its front garden and his early exposure to the historic site
ignited a lifelong passion for archaeology and preservation. As he grew older
he used his wealth and influence to preserve this important piece of history
for future generations.
It was early
morning in 1873 when John carried the sycamore maple sapling to Hadrian’s Wall
to plant. His eyes followed the rugged stone wall riding the ridge of the
rolling landscape as he recalled the first time his father brought him here at
age four. They sat in the sun and enjoyed their time together. He was enchanted
by the natural beauty and sense of serenity he felt.
Quite simply it was
a single sapling planted in the open, sunny curve between two small hillsides, a curve that was much like the waist of a beautiful woman. The sapling was a thin, short
sliver of wood, planted to be a landscape feature, a tree that would
thrive in the open sun and withstand the winds across the moors.
In the dramatic gap, sitting next to the ancient Roman wall, the tree stretched
upward, growing bit by bit each year. Its broad, rounded crown carried by three
large branches with smaller, gnarled ones reaching out above the weathered
trunk. The sky spread wide from breaking sunrise to golden sunset over the open
Northumberland landscape. This tree, well-known for its beauty, resilience, and
adaptability became an iconic symbol in the landscape luring many to the site. Its
striking presence captured the hearts of many visitors and photographers, and
it became known as the Sycamore Gap Tree.
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Cameras
were a common sight at the tree, documenting marriage proposals, weddings,
family photos of celebrations and the like. Tourists and researchers moved
along the wall and stopped at the tree. The site was popular among
astrophotographers and stargazers with a full view of the open sky . Movie
cameras and the accompanying equipment met there to record movie scenes such as
in a 1991 Robin Hood movie, earning it the nickname of the Robin Hood Tree. It
became one of the most photographed trees in England and won the 2016 England
Tree of the Year award. By 2023 it was 150 years old and 49 feet tall.
It was September
27, 2023, when Alice Whysall hiked down the path and took a photo of it at
twilight. The next day Catherine Cape, a local resident, was hiking along the
wall and discovered the tree had been cut down. A large stump remained, and the
tree was laying across the Wall. The local communities were devastated and as
the news spread well beyond Northumberland, many people shared memories about
the tree. It became obvious that the Sycamore Gap Tree was more than a
landscape feature or historic marker - it had deep emotional and cultural
significance for many people.
Local law
enforcement arrived at the scene to address the vandalism. They secured the
area and began their investigation by gathering evidence to identify who was
responsible. In questioning those in the community locals provided important
information but also shared their emotional connections to the tree.
Evidence at
the scene was examined by forensic officers who took samples and measurements
and were heard saying “in 31 years I’ve never examined a tree.” The tree
appeared to have been cut with a chainsaw
and the characteristics of the cut indicated
it had been done by someone with considerable skill. Material collected from
the scene included the tree trunk which had to be cut into smaller pieces in
order to be moved out by crane. It was stored in a secret location to protect
it from souvenir hunters.
The
National Trust, which looks after the site, stepped in to address the
situation. They immediately collected seeds and branch cuttings that showed
signs of growth from the felled tree. As the Trust began to consider what to do
with the tree remains, and the now barren site, great consideration was given
to what the Sycamore Gap Tree meant to so many people.
A New
Beginning
The
National Trust committed to ensuring that the legacy of the Sycamore Gap
Tree would live on. The Trust grew 49 saplings in a rare plant
propagation nursery from the seeds collected. They represent the 49 feet height of the tree and are part of the "Trees of Hope" initiative to be planted in publicly accessible
spaces.
In 2024, to mark the first anniversary of the tree's felling, the National Trust began accepting applications for one of the 49 Sycamore Gap saplings. “Each sapling will carry a message of hope with it as it starts a new chapter not just for the tree but for the 49 people and communities that will receive a sapling next year.”
The Trust
has advised visitors to treat the stump at the current site with “respect.” Eight
new shoots have emerged from the remaining stump. It will take several years to
find out if the tree may regrow although it will not be the same as the
original single trunk.
Many
different projects have been developed using the remains of the tree.
Prints
have been created from a cross-section of the heart-shaped trunk. An artist
created four wooden panels and the lengths of them when combined equal the 49
foot tree height. Each panel represents a season, and a trunk piece sits with the autumn panel relating to the
season it was cut. The summer panel is filled with white paper sycamore-shaped
leaves painted by school children at workshops.
The legacy
has spread as prints of an artist’s painting of the tree are sold with proceeds
funding the planting of trees at a local public estate in an effort to produce
a new woodland to revive the area.
The Sycamore Gap Tree has found many new beginnings and, perhaps, in another 150 years it will have brought communities together and hosted milestones for people multiplied by 49.
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Rosemary Remembers
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