Sycamore Gap Sapling Stolen from Wray Castle Grounds

A sapling taken from the Sycamore Gap tree has been stolen from the grounds of a castle just months after it was planted.

The Sycamore Gap tree, on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, was one of the UK’s best-known and most loved trees. It was criminally felled for no apparent reason on a stormy night in September 2023.

Last July Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were found guilty over the illegal felling of the tree and sentenced to more than four years in prison.

The National Trust collected seeds from the tree, which was at least 100 years old, and 49 saplings were successfully salvaged, to be planted across the country as “signs of hope”.

Gardens and historic sites across the country clamoured for the saplings, with one receiving at least 500 applications. But now, one has been stolen from the picturesque grounds of Wray parkland and castle in Cumbria where it was planted in April this year.

The castle’s staff believe it was taken deliberately. Jez Westgarth, the National Trust’s assistant director for Cumbria and Lancashire, said it must have been taken to plant elsewhere. “It hasn’t just been pulled up recklessly – somebody’s thought about what they’re doing,” he told the BBC.

The trust said staff were “saddened” by the theft and appealed to the public to come forward with information.

Laura Lee, the National Trust’s general manager for the Lake District, said: “We are shocked and saddened that a sapling from the Sycamore Gap tree that was gifted to the Lake District national park and planted at Wray in April 2026 has been stolen.

“Grown from seeds gathered from the much-loved tree at Hadrian’s Wall, which was illegally felled in 2023, it was one of 15 saplings planted across the UK’s national parks as a symbol of hope and resilience among our most protected landscapes.”

The sapling had helped raise awareness for a dementia and bereavement initiative led by the trust, Lee added.

Cumbria police said the theft was believed to have taken place between 9 and 16 June. It is appealing to anyone who visited the castle and its grounds to come forward with information.

Poignant places have been chosen for the saplings, including a site commemorating the Minnie Pit mining disaster in Staffordshire, the Tree Sanctuary in Coventry where three teenage friends helped set up a project to rescue their city’s trees, and Coton Orchard in Cambridgeshire for a grassroots project called Coton Loves Pollinators.

Another is at a site affected by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Strabane, where the tree has been planted, suffered heavily during the 30-year conflict but is today a place with a vibrant arts and music scene where much has been done to foster a sense of resilience and hope.

The Sycamore Gap tree had been a place people celebrated engagements and other important events, held picnics, and quietly enjoyed during walks in nature. It came to international fame when it was featured in the 1991 blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Lee said: “This tree symbolised resilience and renewal, and its loss will be deeply felt. We are working with Cumbria police and ask anyone with information to come forward. While this is a setback, it does not undermine the spirit the tree represents. Acts of care, restoration, and community support remain far stronger. We urge those involved to do the right thing, return the sapling, or come forward. The tree belongs to everyone.”