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Volunteers 'proud' to get Sycamore Gap tree sapling

Getty Images A wide landscape image of Sycamore Gap with a young boy at Hadrians Wall before it was cut down.Getty Images
The Sycamore Gap tree stood beside Hadrian's Wall in the North of England for about 300 years

A volunteer group has said it feels "proud" to be given a sapling from the iconic Robin Hood tree that was illegally cut down in September 2023.

The National Trust collected seeds from the fallen Sycamore Gap tree which stood beside Hadrian's Wall in the North of England for about 300 years.

It has donated 49 saplings – one to represent each foot in height that the tree was at the time of felling – to publicly accessible sites all over the UK.

Alison Blackborow, from the Greener Greenham Group in Newbury said they feel "delight and sheer joy" to be one of the recipients.

Getty Images Two workers giving directions to remove the tree felled at Sycamore Gap using a crane Getty Images
At the time of its felling the National Trust said it was "shocked and saddened" by the loss

Ms Blackborow said the Berkshire based environmentalist team, which she is a part of, will plant its sapling near the control tower on Greenham Common.

"A community event will be organised at the time of its planting to which anyone and everyone will be welcome to attend," she said.

Ms Blackborow said: "The tree of hope is very significant and is relevant to the site we have chosen as the location has an historical association with war and weapons of mass destruction."

Greenham Common was used as an airfield during World War Two and the post war years.

In 1972, RAF Greenham Common became a resettlement centre for those who were ordered to leave Uganda by president Idi Amin after he seized power.

More than 1,600 refugees spent a year living in barrack blocks on the site.

In 2000 it reopened for public use and there is now a cafe and museum at the control tower.

"The control cafe and community space are well used, many people will be able to enjoy the Tree of Hope sapling which has it own story of regeneration and hope," Ms Blackborow said.

Getty Images The former Control Tower near the 'Ground Launched Cruise Missile Alert and Maintenance Area' at the former Greenham Common air base. There is a lot of wildlife in the area.Getty Images
Greener Greenham Group hopes to plant its sapling outside Greenham Common Control Tower

The Sycamore Gap tree was given global recognition when it appeared in the 1991 Hollywood movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

At the time of its felling the National Trust said it was "shocked and saddened" by the loss.

It hopes to send the saplings to their new homes in winter 2025/26, when they should be strong and sturdy enough.

It said it wants each sapling to carry "a message of hope with it as it starts a new chapter" in communities across the country.

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