1 00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:43,882 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH : Hello and welcome to Wild Tales. I'm Rosie 2 00:00:43,902 --> 00:00:47,183 Holdsworth and for this episode I'm handing you over to gardens 3 00:00:47,223 --> 00:00:51,686 expert Heather Birkett. Nine months ago we released a podcast 4 00:00:51,726 --> 00:00:55,648 about a tree that moved an entire nation. This was no 5 00:00:55,788 --> 00:00:59,329 ordinary tree but one that stood majestically in a gap between 6 00:00:59,330 --> 00:01:03,972 the hills. A tree so iconic it became a symbol of the landscape 7 00:01:04,072 --> 00:01:04,492 itself. 8 00:01:06,432 --> 00:01:09,754 HEATHER BIRKETT: On the 28th of September 2023, the world 9 00:01:09,814 --> 00:01:13,356 reacted with shock and sorrow to the news that the Sycamore Gap 10 00:01:13,436 --> 00:01:18,339 tree had been felled overnight. Over the following year, we were 11 00:01:18,379 --> 00:01:21,581 able to go behind the scenes and gain access to the people 12 00:01:21,661 --> 00:01:26,644 closest to this story to uncover how this crisis unfolded, what 13 00:01:26,684 --> 00:01:31,586 happened next, and why it's meant so much to so many. And 14 00:01:31,666 --> 00:01:34,836 now, because of the renewed interest in the tree. We're 15 00:01:34,896 --> 00:01:38,159 re-releasing this episode, complete with an update at the 16 00:01:38,259 --> 00:01:41,742 end, sharing the latest conservation news from Sycamore 17 00:01:41,782 --> 00:01:42,043 Gap. 18 00:01:45,666 --> 00:01:49,029 As I sit with a cuppa, I can't help but reflect on the 19 00:01:49,069 --> 00:01:53,893 headlines that echoed around the globe. This one says, "Sycamore 20 00:01:53,933 --> 00:01:58,917 Gap, iconic tree seen lying next To Hadrian's Wall after being 21 00:01:59,038 --> 00:02:05,210 felled." Another declares, " Famous Sycamore Gap Tree Found 22 00:02:05,330 --> 00:02:09,293 Cut Down Overnight." And one particularly poignant 23 00:02:09,333 --> 00:02:13,395 headline, "The last time I visited Sycamore Gap, I never 24 00:02:13,495 --> 00:02:17,518 imagined I would never see it again." 25 00:02:17,518 --> 00:02:22,441 I start my journey in December 2023, just over two months after 26 00:02:22,442 --> 00:02:25,143 the felling, to try and understand the impact of this 27 00:02:25,223 --> 00:02:26,264 loss firsthand. 28 00:02:30,592 --> 00:02:33,854 We've come to Northumberland. We're surrounded by green 29 00:02:33,934 --> 00:02:38,458 rolling hills, which rise gently up and then drop away sharply, 30 00:02:38,838 --> 00:02:41,840 giving the whole landscape a sense that it's been tilted on 31 00:02:41,841 --> 00:02:48,444 its side. It feels remote, other than a few cottages and the 32 00:02:48,464 --> 00:02:52,888 occasional sound of a tractor or a car, and this fantastic stone 33 00:02:52,948 --> 00:02:57,991 wall. It's been here for 1,900 years. Hadrian's Wall is a real 34 00:02:58,051 --> 00:03:02,581 feature of the landscape. So we've reached a gap between two 35 00:03:02,661 --> 00:03:06,021 hills. At the bottom of the gap there's this fenced off 36 00:03:06,081 --> 00:03:08,782 enclosure which surrounds the stump that used to be the 37 00:03:08,822 --> 00:03:12,603 Sycamore Gap tree and I'm hoping to meet Andrew and Luke here 38 00:03:12,643 --> 00:03:15,044 today who are going to tell me a bit more about what happened. 39 00:03:15,864 --> 00:03:18,065 LUKE STRASZEWSKI: Hi I'm Luke, I'm one of the ranger team up 40 00:03:18,145 --> 00:03:19,685 here on the Hadrian's Wall estate. 41 00:03:19,885 --> 00:03:20,945 HEATHER BIRKETT: Hi nice to meet you. 42 00:03:21,466 --> 00:03:24,086 ANDREW POAD: My name's Andrew Poad, I'm general manager for 43 00:03:24,346 --> 00:03:26,927 Northumberland Coast in Hadrian's Wall country and as 44 00:03:26,928 --> 00:03:29,048 you can hear in the background I've got my dogs with me today 45 00:03:29,088 --> 00:03:30,388 so I've got Goose who's whining. 46 00:03:30,608 --> 00:03:31,008 HEATHER BIRKETT: Hello, Goose 47 00:03:31,008 --> 00:03:33,630 ANDREW POAD: She's only eight months old, and Archie was much 48 00:03:33,690 --> 00:03:35,471 older and just sat quietly in the background. 49 00:03:36,012 --> 00:03:38,573 HEATHER BIRKETT: So why do you think the tree was so iconic? 50 00:03:38,794 --> 00:03:42,076 ANDREW POAD: It was a recognised landmark prior to its appearance 51 00:03:42,116 --> 00:03:45,678 in Prince of Thieves back in 1991. That was the launch of its 52 00:03:45,758 --> 00:03:48,480 career. It was referred to locally as the Kevin Costner 53 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,502 tree because of the film. And then my belief is with the 54 00:03:51,503 --> 00:03:54,845 advent of social media, it became that symbol that 55 00:03:54,885 --> 00:03:58,367 everybody wanted to capture for their Instagram moment. And in 56 00:03:58,607 --> 00:04:02,313 so doing became... emblematic of this part of the world. 57 00:04:03,233 --> 00:04:05,133 HEATHER BIRKETT: As well as finding fame in the Hollywood 58 00:04:05,173 --> 00:04:08,874 blockbuster Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, the tree was also 59 00:04:08,994 --> 00:04:13,496 awarded the title "English Tree of the Year," in 2016 by the 60 00:04:13,516 --> 00:04:16,837 Woodland Trust, a further testament to its popularity. 61 00:04:18,857 --> 00:04:22,658 We have a fenced off area here. It's about three metres square. 62 00:04:23,078 --> 00:04:26,499 And in the centre, there is what I can only describe as a 63 00:04:26,539 --> 00:04:30,421 significantly large tree stump. Luke. Tell me what's happened 64 00:04:30,481 --> 00:04:30,701 here. 65 00:04:31,321 --> 00:04:33,984 LUKE STRASZEWSKI: The tree was a pretty striking part of the 66 00:04:34,004 --> 00:04:37,006 landscape. It was around 15 metres tall, but it had a good 67 00:04:37,166 --> 00:04:40,929 canopy. It was in good health. This, sadly, was felled 68 00:04:41,110 --> 00:04:44,813 overnight in an act of vandalism. And the fence is up 69 00:04:44,873 --> 00:04:48,196 now round to protect the stump in the hopes that we'll get some 70 00:04:48,336 --> 00:04:48,956 regeneration. 71 00:04:49,637 --> 00:04:51,458 HEATHER BIRKETT: Andrew, were you the first to get the call 72 00:04:51,538 --> 00:04:52,219 when this happened? 73 00:04:52,559 --> 00:04:54,681 ANDREW POAD: Yeah, the National Park are based at the Sill, 74 00:04:54,721 --> 00:04:58,284 which is just within sight of where we are now. Their staff 75 00:04:58,756 --> 00:05:01,278 spotted there was something missing on their way into work. 76 00:05:01,758 --> 00:05:04,580 So I got a call from them. Initial reaction was that it was 77 00:05:04,581 --> 00:05:09,143 a hoax, because we've had hoaxes in the past, and then we had had 78 00:05:09,244 --> 00:05:12,466 storm Agnes the night before. The initial thought was that 79 00:05:12,506 --> 00:05:14,768 it's somehow blown down. But then very quickly, they managed 80 00:05:14,769 --> 00:05:18,030 to get the National Trail Ranger on site, who was able to clarify 81 00:05:18,050 --> 00:05:20,612 that it had actually been cut down. So that shifted things 82 00:05:20,652 --> 00:05:23,714 considerably from a natural accident to a deliberate act. 83 00:05:24,314 --> 00:05:26,096 HEATHER BIRKETT: And it didn't take long for the news to 84 00:05:26,136 --> 00:05:26,516 spread. 85 00:05:27,216 --> 00:05:29,317 ANDREW POAD: Within the hour, the whole world knew because it 86 00:05:29,417 --> 00:05:32,738 hit social media, my work channels, my personal channels, 87 00:05:32,938 --> 00:05:35,019 everything started lighting up in front of me. 88 00:05:35,619 --> 00:05:39,261 HEATHER BIRKETT: Luke, you came down here and found a felled 89 00:05:39,361 --> 00:05:41,182 tree. What happened next? 90 00:05:41,622 --> 00:05:44,183 LUKE STRASZEWSKI: Our first priority was to make sure that 91 00:05:44,263 --> 00:05:47,844 the site was safe because the tree had fallen onto the North 92 00:05:47,964 --> 00:05:52,026 side and it was hanging up in the air. So the first thing we 93 00:05:52,046 --> 00:05:55,367 needed to do was make sure that it wasn't shifting, that it 94 00:05:55,387 --> 00:05:59,421 wasn't a risk to the public. So we cordoned off the area just to 95 00:05:59,422 --> 00:06:02,382 make sure no one could get too close to it. And at that point, 96 00:06:02,442 --> 00:06:07,444 obviously, our thought turned to what can we do to preserve the 97 00:06:07,484 --> 00:06:11,106 tree. Over the next couple of days, we collected cuttings, we 98 00:06:11,146 --> 00:06:13,847 collected seed with the hope that we can get some 99 00:06:13,848 --> 00:06:18,089 regeneration and so that we can hopefully get a new Sycamore Gap 100 00:06:18,289 --> 00:06:18,529 tree. 101 00:06:19,069 --> 00:06:21,290 HEATHER BIRKETT: The seeds and cuttings were immediately sent 102 00:06:21,390 --> 00:06:24,691 on to the National Trust Plant Conservation Centre, a 103 00:06:24,711 --> 00:06:27,897 specialist plant nursery. But there was still the pressing 104 00:06:27,957 --> 00:06:29,998 matter of what to do with the tree. 105 00:06:30,519 --> 00:06:33,321 ANDREW POAD: It was apparent to us, to everybody really, that we 106 00:06:33,381 --> 00:06:37,844 needed to come up with a plan to remove the tree effectively. 107 00:06:38,544 --> 00:06:41,146 HEATHER BIRKETT: The team then began preparing the site for the 108 00:06:41,166 --> 00:06:44,869 tree's removal. But as Luke explains, there were a few 109 00:06:44,989 --> 00:06:46,190 challenges to overcome. 110 00:06:46,890 --> 00:06:49,372 LUKE STRASZEWSKI: So the first issue we had with it is the tree 111 00:06:49,512 --> 00:06:53,615 had fallen onto Hadrian's Wall itself, and so we needed to do 112 00:06:53,715 --> 00:06:57,657 what we could to preserve. the UNESCO World Heritage Site. That 113 00:06:58,137 --> 00:07:00,457 meant we were quite limited in our options. That meant we 114 00:07:00,497 --> 00:07:03,218 needed to lift it off the wall. So that meant we were going to 115 00:07:03,219 --> 00:07:04,219 have to get a crane in. 116 00:07:04,599 --> 00:07:07,019 HEATHER BIRKETT: Bringing a piece of machinery that size 117 00:07:07,199 --> 00:07:08,740 into the gap was a first. 118 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,061 LUKE STRASZEWSKI: We are quite fortunate in that the tree was 119 00:07:11,121 --> 00:07:15,302 used as a filming location for Robin Hood and a road was put 120 00:07:15,382 --> 00:07:19,103 in. That meant that we could get it quite close, but it was very 121 00:07:19,203 --> 00:07:23,932 tricky. Sections of the tree had to be removed bit by bit. And 122 00:07:23,933 --> 00:07:26,634 they had to be held back as well to make sure that they didn't 123 00:07:26,734 --> 00:07:31,836 roll or fall in any way. We used the crane to lift it out and 124 00:07:31,896 --> 00:07:35,659 then we moved all of that wood onto a trailer and that was 125 00:07:35,699 --> 00:07:37,239 taken away to another location. 126 00:07:38,180 --> 00:07:40,561 ANDREW POAD: It was quite a challenge, we had the world's 127 00:07:40,641 --> 00:07:44,984 media sat on the little hill to the south of us so not only were 128 00:07:44,985 --> 00:07:47,525 we doing something totally unprecedented we'd never done 129 00:07:47,545 --> 00:07:50,026 before but we had all the cameras pointing at us while we 130 00:07:50,027 --> 00:07:53,896 we were doing it. So that was a bit of a tense few hours. 131 00:07:55,357 --> 00:07:57,859 HEATHER BIRKETT: On Friday the 13th of October, the tree was 132 00:07:57,919 --> 00:08:02,541 carefully lifted off Hadrian's Wall and covertly transported to 133 00:08:02,542 --> 00:08:07,144 a top secret location within the National Trust. But as a 134 00:08:07,184 --> 00:08:10,886 sycamore is part of the Acer family, the team needed to act 135 00:08:10,966 --> 00:08:14,628 quickly. The clock was ticking the moment it was felled, as the 136 00:08:14,648 --> 00:08:18,270 sugars within the wood could quickly lead to fungi and decay. 137 00:08:19,051 --> 00:08:22,244 To preserve it as best as possible, The tree was put under 138 00:08:22,264 --> 00:08:25,825 the care of a specialist team until a decision could be made 139 00:08:25,845 --> 00:08:26,606 on its future. 140 00:08:31,567 --> 00:08:35,648 I can see some items left at the base of the tree. Some flowers, 141 00:08:35,868 --> 00:08:37,149 a homemade cross. 142 00:08:37,589 --> 00:08:39,549 LUKE STRASZEWSKI: A lot of people have got a real 143 00:08:39,609 --> 00:08:42,450 connection with Sycamore Gap. It's been a part of the local 144 00:08:42,490 --> 00:08:46,471 community. People had proposals here. Everyone comes out here 145 00:08:46,491 --> 00:08:50,513 for a picnic. People have left memorials and mementos to loved 146 00:08:50,573 --> 00:08:54,414 ones who've passed away here and Sycamore Gap is just a part of 147 00:08:54,454 --> 00:08:55,334 their lives 148 00:08:55,874 --> 00:08:59,215 ANDREW POAD: Having worked with it over these last 30 years i 149 00:08:59,235 --> 00:09:02,656 definitely saw how important it was to people but i think i 150 00:09:02,676 --> 00:09:04,437 hadn't appreciated the reach of that 151 00:09:07,338 --> 00:09:09,638 JUDITH WARD : It's been there all my life you look in the gap 152 00:09:09,658 --> 00:09:11,799 oh there's a tree look at all them people standing around the 153 00:09:11,819 --> 00:09:14,720 tree. Look at them all come to see it, take the pictures, get 154 00:09:14,721 --> 00:09:20,002 the selfies. My name is Judith Ward and I am one of the workers 155 00:09:20,062 --> 00:09:22,103 and front of house supervisor at the Twice Brewed Inn. 156 00:09:22,963 --> 00:09:26,825 The pub itself is situated right on the Roman Wall alongside one 157 00:09:26,826 --> 00:09:30,828 of the largest tourist destinations in England. And 158 00:09:30,829 --> 00:09:34,490 then that morning my husband rang me and said, the tree's 159 00:09:34,550 --> 00:09:37,771 down. And I went. What do you mean? He says, the tree's down. 160 00:09:38,532 --> 00:09:43,975 I went, no. So I jumped back in my car and I could see the cut 161 00:09:44,575 --> 00:09:49,642 end of the tree. And I stopped the car and I took a picture and 162 00:09:49,643 --> 00:09:52,864 I put it in our group chat. And then the picture started coming 163 00:09:52,865 --> 00:09:56,947 in online. And it's just senseless. It stood there 164 00:09:57,628 --> 00:10:02,837 through the test of time. It stood through many a storm, the 165 00:10:02,997 --> 00:10:08,319 harshest of weather conditions, and my brother proposed there, 166 00:10:09,159 --> 00:10:13,260 and it just seems unfathomable. It's just altered the landscape 167 00:10:14,220 --> 00:10:14,620 forever. 168 00:10:17,541 --> 00:10:19,462 HEATHER BIRKETT: The global response to the felling of the 169 00:10:19,502 --> 00:10:23,343 tree has been heartfelt and touching, and in the days 170 00:10:23,423 --> 00:10:27,124 following its fall, the tributes and messages came flooding in. 171 00:10:28,792 --> 00:10:31,854 MARK ROBINSON : The sycamore of Sycamore Gap, more than just a 172 00:10:31,894 --> 00:10:36,336 tree. It's a part of our identity, a symbol of pride and 173 00:10:36,356 --> 00:10:39,698 belonging for the North East, from badges on school uniforms 174 00:10:39,718 --> 00:10:42,580 to the backs of joiners vans. It's a part of our everyday 175 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:44,801 life, whether we visit it or not. 176 00:10:46,102 --> 00:10:49,304 A place of deep personal connection, of landmarks in our 177 00:10:49,344 --> 00:10:53,686 lives, of romantic proposals and poignant farewells, of memories 178 00:10:53,987 --> 00:10:57,348 and sandwiches shared with those we love, or of solitude and 179 00:10:57,349 --> 00:11:02,111 reflection, of peace, recovery and hope. For some, its loss 180 00:11:02,191 --> 00:11:04,653 lays bare the vulnerability of nature itself. 181 00:11:05,713 --> 00:11:09,035 My name is Mark Robinson, and I am an Experiences and 182 00:11:09,055 --> 00:11:12,917 Partnerships Curator for the National Trust based up in the 183 00:11:12,918 --> 00:11:19,961 North East. I was asked to review and collate the responses 184 00:11:20,081 --> 00:11:23,343 that were coming in from the public. People's responses on 185 00:11:23,443 --> 00:11:27,366 social media, but in particular the responses that people had 186 00:11:27,406 --> 00:11:30,209 shared in the memory room in the exhibition at The Sill. 187 00:11:31,129 --> 00:11:35,653 The memory room was a kind of a pop-up, impromptu place for 188 00:11:35,773 --> 00:11:39,376 people to share their memories of the tree. It felt important 189 00:11:39,476 --> 00:11:43,619 to find a way to somehow capture that. Some people wrote long 190 00:11:43,739 --> 00:11:47,522 stories, some people wrote poems, some people drew 191 00:11:47,583 --> 00:11:51,426 pictures. I think the thing that struck me the most was 192 00:11:51,806 --> 00:11:54,248 particularly from school children. 193 00:11:54,752 --> 00:11:59,515 That there was a huge amount of hope. There was a lot of 194 00:11:59,835 --> 00:12:02,776 references to this tree will come again or we will not forget 195 00:12:02,857 --> 00:12:05,718 you. And it was a really humbling experience really to 196 00:12:05,758 --> 00:12:09,720 spend the day reading all of the responses, but also to kind of 197 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,342 remind yourself of just how important places can be. 198 00:12:15,263 --> 00:12:17,264 HEATHER BIRKETT: And while Mark and his team were sifting 199 00:12:17,324 --> 00:12:20,106 through the responses from the public, the staff at the 200 00:12:20,146 --> 00:12:22,827 National Trust Plant Conservation Centre were working 201 00:12:22,887 --> 00:12:23,668 against the clock. 202 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,041 CHRIS TRIMMER : Once material has been cut off the tree, it is 203 00:12:27,061 --> 00:12:31,083 divine. So we need to get in there as soon as possible to do 204 00:12:31,143 --> 00:12:31,563 our work. 205 00:12:32,724 --> 00:12:35,505 I'm Chris Strimmer, I'm the Plant Conservation Centre 206 00:12:35,565 --> 00:12:40,067 Manager and I look after all the rare and unusual plants in the 207 00:12:40,087 --> 00:12:43,428 National Trust. I actually found out that the tree had been cut 208 00:12:43,488 --> 00:12:47,470 down from our national press team. I had a phone call and 209 00:12:47,870 --> 00:12:51,532 essentially we just started all the prep work behind the scenes. 210 00:12:52,724 --> 00:12:56,306 To move plant material we have to issue what's called a plant 211 00:12:56,346 --> 00:12:58,107 passport. Did that straight away. 212 00:12:59,248 --> 00:13:02,890 One of our gardens consultants were actually on site within 213 00:13:03,090 --> 00:13:07,112 sort of day, day and a half afterwards and they sent 214 00:13:07,132 --> 00:13:10,814 material down to us through the post. They sent first class and 215 00:13:10,815 --> 00:13:13,315 it arrived here nine o'clock on Saturday morning. 216 00:13:14,536 --> 00:13:17,017 We asked for seed, which is one of the easiest methods of 217 00:13:17,018 --> 00:13:22,016 propagation, but also cuttings, doing grafting, budding. From 218 00:13:22,017 --> 00:13:25,678 the same sort of material. So by Saturday five o'clock everything 219 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,840 was propagated and it's all gone quite well so far. 220 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:35,203 We've got 21 cuttings, we've got five budded trees, we've got 15 221 00:13:35,343 --> 00:13:40,126 grafted trees and we've sown four seed trays so far of seeds. 222 00:13:40,566 --> 00:13:44,888 But we don't know what's going to happen but the stump that's 223 00:13:44,908 --> 00:13:48,690 been left behind will probably grow as a multi stemmed tree but 224 00:13:48,691 --> 00:13:51,892 it'll never look the same as it did and it'll be another... Two, 225 00:13:51,992 --> 00:13:53,173 three hundred years before it looks good. 226 00:13:55,174 --> 00:13:57,695 HEATHER BIRKETT: And then all their efforts paid off. They 227 00:13:57,755 --> 00:14:02,158 successfully propagated cuttings and cultivated seeds, creating a 228 00:14:02,198 --> 00:14:06,680 whole new generation of Sycamore Gap trees. The first of these 229 00:14:07,041 --> 00:14:10,342 made a special journey to London in May, where it was put on 230 00:14:10,362 --> 00:14:14,024 display for all to see in the National Trust Garden at the 231 00:14:14,065 --> 00:14:15,105 Chelsea Flower Show. 232 00:14:16,326 --> 00:14:18,727 The young seedling was placed into the garden by 233 00:14:18,867 --> 00:14:22,353 seven-year-old Charlotte. And Dame Judi Dench, who 234 00:14:22,393 --> 00:14:26,096 affectionately named it Antoninus, after Emperor 235 00:14:26,196 --> 00:14:30,419 Hadrian's adopted son, inspired by the location of the Sycamore 236 00:14:30,459 --> 00:14:31,019 Gap tree. 237 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,582 Charlotte and her parents, Andy and Louise, travelled down from 238 00:14:35,602 --> 00:14:37,023 their home in Northumberland. 239 00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:40,886 LOUISE: Well, I grew up in Haydon Bridge, which is, what, 240 00:14:40,926 --> 00:14:44,929 maybe five miles from the gap. When we found out the day it 241 00:14:44,949 --> 00:14:47,190 happened, we were both at work and Charlotte was at school, and 242 00:14:47,191 --> 00:14:51,614 that night, went for a drive along, just.to see if it was 243 00:14:51,714 --> 00:14:55,337 true, and it was just so strange not seeing that tree there. 244 00:14:55,698 --> 00:14:58,220 It was quite emotional, wasn't it, when you find out and you 245 00:14:58,221 --> 00:15:00,803 think. That's just a tree, why am I getting upset over a tree? 246 00:15:00,903 --> 00:15:05,307 But it's strange how a tree up in Northumberland is all over 247 00:15:05,308 --> 00:15:08,365 the world has made such an impact on everyone. 248 00:15:08,985 --> 00:15:11,446 I just remember Charlotte was saying to me one day, oh, I've 249 00:15:11,447 --> 00:15:14,267 got to do this with the school, write a poem about Sycamore Gap. 250 00:15:14,607 --> 00:15:17,228 HEATHER BIRKETT: A competition was set up, inviting pupils from 251 00:15:17,288 --> 00:15:20,790 Henshaw Primary School, the closest school to Sycamore Gap, 252 00:15:21,310 --> 00:15:24,651 in which pupils were invited to draw a picture of the tree and 253 00:15:24,671 --> 00:15:27,953 write a short poem about what it meant to them. And it was 254 00:15:28,013 --> 00:15:29,353 Charlotte's poem which won. 255 00:15:29,913 --> 00:15:32,454 CHARLOTTE: I went to see Harian's Wall and I saw a tree. 256 00:15:32,855 --> 00:15:36,896 It was a mindful tree. It was a mindful, famous tree. It was a 257 00:15:36,936 --> 00:15:41,702 mindful, famous, historical tree. It was a mindful, famous, 258 00:15:41,702 --> 00:15:45,160 historical, magnificent tree. It was a mindful, famous, 259 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,562 historical, magnificent, welcoming tree. I really hope 260 00:15:49,582 --> 00:15:54,644 Sycamore Gap grows back. When I go and see the tree, it brings 261 00:15:54,684 --> 00:15:56,024 back lots of memories. 262 00:15:57,505 --> 00:15:59,926 HEATHER BIRKETT: After the show, the seedling was returned to the 263 00:15:59,927 --> 00:16:03,628 Plant Conservation Centre, where it continues to grow alongside 264 00:16:03,648 --> 00:16:07,698 its siblings until they are ready for planting the first 265 00:16:07,778 --> 00:16:11,121 successful sapling has been gifted to his Royal Highness the 266 00:16:11,161 --> 00:16:15,143 King in honour of celebration day. A day dedicated to 267 00:16:15,203 --> 00:16:19,226 remembering those no longer with us. This special tree will be 268 00:16:19,266 --> 00:16:28,633 planted in Windsor Great Park for all visitors to enjoy. 269 00:16:28,633 --> 00:16:32,920 It is now the beginning of July ten months after the felling and 270 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:37,423 hopes of any regrowth at the stump are starting to fade. But 271 00:16:37,443 --> 00:16:39,724 at various sites in Northumberland, the first 272 00:16:39,804 --> 00:16:44,007 artworks are about to go on display. These are five prints 273 00:16:44,107 --> 00:16:47,829 by Shona Brannigan, who is known for her evocative tree prints. 274 00:16:48,490 --> 00:16:50,511 The prints have been commissioned by the National 275 00:16:50,551 --> 00:16:55,274 Trust as a creative response to the public's suggestions. This 276 00:16:55,334 --> 00:16:59,441 collection, lovingly titled Heartwood, is designed to 277 00:16:59,481 --> 00:17:04,124 reflect the intricate shape and essence of the tree trunk. The 278 00:17:04,164 --> 00:17:07,487 five prints will be showcased together at the Queen's Hall, 279 00:17:07,587 --> 00:17:11,330 Hexham, and then at the Baltic Art Gallery in Newcastle. 280 00:17:15,974 --> 00:17:20,117 Then, at the end of July, I get a call from Andrew Poad, General 281 00:17:20,157 --> 00:17:23,520 Manager at Hadrian's Wall, with the news that we have all been 282 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:24,201 hoping for. 283 00:17:24,681 --> 00:17:27,163 ANDREW POAD: We've just heard from our colleagues at the 284 00:17:27,164 --> 00:17:30,445 National Park that... The stumps actually started regrowing, 285 00:17:30,805 --> 00:17:31,865 which is brilliant news. 286 00:17:32,225 --> 00:17:33,885 HEATHER BIRKETT: Oh, that's fantastic news, Andrew. 287 00:17:34,066 --> 00:17:36,566 ANDREW POAD: Yeah, it was a real pleasant surprise to get the 288 00:17:36,586 --> 00:17:39,967 call. The really nice story is the chap who found it, is the 289 00:17:40,047 --> 00:17:43,588 first person that was on site that confirmed that the tree had 290 00:17:43,608 --> 00:17:46,809 actually been felled. He's the National Trail Ranger for 291 00:17:46,829 --> 00:17:50,830 Hadrian's Wall. So it's really nice that it's him that's the 292 00:17:50,930 --> 00:17:53,811 one that's spotted the regrowth first. A little bit of 293 00:17:53,831 --> 00:17:57,472 serendipity there. So the last time I was there, we'd got up to 294 00:17:57,532 --> 00:18:01,835 12. New shoots. They're only a few centimetres tall and a few 295 00:18:01,895 --> 00:18:06,138 centimetres across with two or three leaves on each shoot. And 296 00:18:06,139 --> 00:18:09,440 they're a lovely rusty red colour at the moment. And that's 297 00:18:09,500 --> 00:18:12,642 great. I mean, this is nature bouncing back. This is how it 298 00:18:12,662 --> 00:18:16,605 responds and whether all the shoots survive or not remains to 299 00:18:16,606 --> 00:18:20,487 be seen. I'm delighted the tree's regrowing, although it'll 300 00:18:20,548 --> 00:18:22,769 never look the same as the original tree. It's the best 301 00:18:23,069 --> 00:18:26,792 possible outcome we could get. So it's really nice to share. 302 00:18:27,172 --> 00:18:30,393 When I was on site sharing that with other people, what we were 303 00:18:30,453 --> 00:18:32,534 saying to a lot of them who had children with them is that 304 00:18:32,554 --> 00:18:37,176 they're going to need to come back in 10, 20 years' time and 305 00:18:37,796 --> 00:18:40,037 see the results of what they've just witnessed. 306 00:18:42,078 --> 00:18:44,879 HEATHER BIRKETT: As encouraging signs of regrowth emerge at the 307 00:18:44,899 --> 00:18:49,561 stump, plans are also underway for the stored wood. After a 308 00:18:49,601 --> 00:18:53,483 year of careful seasoning, the largest section has been gifted 309 00:18:53,583 --> 00:18:58,345 to the Northumberland National Park Authority. CEO Tony Gates 310 00:18:58,745 --> 00:18:59,465 tells us more. 311 00:19:01,366 --> 00:19:04,267 TONY GATES: The National Park Authority, we own and run The 312 00:19:04,647 --> 00:19:06,928 Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre on Hadrian's 313 00:19:06,968 --> 00:19:10,750 Wall. It's the closest visitor centre to the site of Sycamore 314 00:19:10,790 --> 00:19:14,612 Gap. We get about 125,000 visitors a year through the 315 00:19:14,632 --> 00:19:18,373 centre. And it would have been one of the most popular starting 316 00:19:18,433 --> 00:19:21,855 points for people who wanted to walk to see the Sycamore Gap 317 00:19:21,935 --> 00:19:22,175 tree. 318 00:19:22,715 --> 00:19:24,916 And we gathered all the feedback that people sent to us, 319 00:19:25,284 --> 00:19:27,905 following the felling of the tree. And one of the things that 320 00:19:27,906 --> 00:19:31,227 came through is that people wanted to see some type of 321 00:19:31,487 --> 00:19:35,150 long-term legacy for the tree in the Sill in the visitor centre. 322 00:19:35,630 --> 00:19:38,011 And so we've negotiated with the National Trust and they've 323 00:19:38,071 --> 00:19:41,853 kindly agreed to gift us the largest remaining intact section 324 00:19:42,193 --> 00:19:43,694 of the Sycamore Gap tree. 325 00:19:44,475 --> 00:19:48,277 And the idea is that we use that to create a lasting legacy for 326 00:19:48,537 --> 00:19:51,539 Sycamore Gap that people can visit in the Sill National 327 00:19:51,579 --> 00:19:54,804 Landscape Centre. And it means of people who maybe physically 328 00:19:54,844 --> 00:19:59,768 can't get as far out as the site itself can still have some 329 00:19:59,828 --> 00:20:00,789 contact with the tree. 330 00:20:02,550 --> 00:20:04,692 HEATHER BIRKETT: Earlier in the year, a call went out for 331 00:20:04,812 --> 00:20:08,115 artists to design an exhibition that would incorporate the 332 00:20:08,175 --> 00:20:12,081 gifted tree section. This exhibition is set to open at the 333 00:20:12,161 --> 00:20:16,262 Sill in the Northumberland National Park Discovery Centre, 334 00:20:16,262 --> 00:20:20,223 one year after the felling. The commissioned artists are Charlie 335 00:20:20,224 --> 00:20:23,144 Winnie, Nick Greenall and Matt Sowerby. 336 00:20:27,085 --> 00:20:29,766 It's a beautiful sunny day in August and I've come to a barn 337 00:20:29,786 --> 00:20:33,327 in rural Cumbria, nestled between the majestic fells of 338 00:20:33,328 --> 00:20:36,587 the Lake District and the open waters of Morecambe Bay. It's a 339 00:20:36,627 --> 00:20:40,045 really special corner of Cumbria. That feels incredibly 340 00:20:40,305 --> 00:20:40,945 tucked away. 341 00:20:42,686 --> 00:20:46,367 The Barn is home to an artist's studio where the artists 342 00:20:46,467 --> 00:20:48,788 specialise in art made from wood. 343 00:20:52,330 --> 00:20:55,291 We're inside the studio now and you might be able to hear a 344 00:20:55,311 --> 00:20:58,312 little bit of action in the background, some sawing and 345 00:20:58,332 --> 00:21:01,754 drilling, but I'm sat here with two of the artists involved. 346 00:21:01,914 --> 00:21:04,735 NICK GREENALL: Good afternoon, my name's Nick Greenall and this 347 00:21:04,736 --> 00:21:08,432 is Charlie Whinney and jointly we're both directors of a 348 00:21:08,492 --> 00:21:11,113 community interest company called Creative Communities and 349 00:21:11,114 --> 00:21:14,834 we do kind of out there art projects with members of the 350 00:21:14,854 --> 00:21:18,435 community who might not normally get the opportunity to do that 351 00:21:18,495 --> 00:21:18,976 kind of thing. 352 00:21:19,576 --> 00:21:22,317 On this particular project, the Sycamore Gap project, we're 353 00:21:22,337 --> 00:21:25,617 working with a poet called Matt Sowerby. So we've got poetry, 354 00:21:26,218 --> 00:21:30,299 we've got Charlie Whinney who's an amazing steam woodbender. 355 00:21:30,859 --> 00:21:32,800 HEATHER BIRKETT: We come to you Charlie, I wondered if you could 356 00:21:32,820 --> 00:21:34,020 tell us a bit about your work. 357 00:21:34,504 --> 00:21:36,065 CHARLIE WHINNEY : The reason you can see all these strange, 358 00:21:36,245 --> 00:21:40,729 twizzly, curly shapes around you is because my sketchbook is full 359 00:21:40,749 --> 00:21:45,192 of these shapes. And part of the interest and the challenge for 360 00:21:45,212 --> 00:21:50,496 me is to take normal wood from a tree outside and use as little 361 00:21:50,596 --> 00:21:54,279 energy as possible and still achieve beautiful results. 362 00:21:54,980 --> 00:21:57,201 HEATHER BIRKETT: So can I ask, have you seen the tree? 363 00:21:58,082 --> 00:22:01,845 NICK GREENALL: We have. Charlie was keen to study the material 364 00:22:01,846 --> 00:22:04,366 that he'd be working with, and there was a bit of mystery about 365 00:22:04,386 --> 00:22:07,768 where the tree actually might be. It may be in Devon, it may 366 00:22:07,788 --> 00:22:11,771 be in Berwick-upon-Tweed. And then they took us, and then the 367 00:22:11,851 --> 00:22:14,673 tree out of the darkness was revealed. 368 00:22:15,273 --> 00:22:17,634 CHARLIE WHINNEY : When I saw it, I'd already met, I don't know, 369 00:22:17,694 --> 00:22:21,777 like 100 people there who had tears when it came down. And I 370 00:22:21,778 --> 00:22:25,339 think looking at the bark of the tree and all the interesting 371 00:22:25,599 --> 00:22:28,405 swirls and patterns, having already studied loads of 372 00:22:28,406 --> 00:22:31,527 photographs of the living tree, and it was like, oh my God, it's 373 00:22:31,627 --> 00:22:34,509 you. It's the same one. It was a strange feeling. 374 00:22:34,970 --> 00:22:37,612 NICK GREENALL: Because I'd seen the tree in life in this dip on 375 00:22:37,672 --> 00:22:41,134 Hadrian's Wall. It was just very aesthetic' it was the right tree 376 00:22:41,174 --> 00:22:44,957 in the right place. And then seeing it cut up as a log, there 377 00:22:44,958 --> 00:22:48,319 was definitely a disconnect between seeing a log of wood and 378 00:22:48,339 --> 00:22:50,341 this formerly beautiful tree in life. 379 00:22:50,501 --> 00:22:52,082 HEATHER BIRKETT: So Charlie, what happens next? 380 00:22:52,342 --> 00:22:55,448 CHARLIE WHINNEY : There were two stages to this project. You've 381 00:22:55,488 --> 00:22:59,109 come to us now about five weeks before the first stage is going 382 00:22:59,110 --> 00:23:02,630 to be complete. It's going to be the one year on exhibition at 383 00:23:02,631 --> 00:23:07,131 the Sill. And I'm making five giant canvases that are going to 384 00:23:07,132 --> 00:23:10,532 go on the wall. They're going to depict the tree wrapping around 385 00:23:10,533 --> 00:23:13,813 the gallery, kind of life size. And in the middle of the gallery 386 00:23:14,013 --> 00:23:16,614 will be our log, which the National Trust have currently 387 00:23:16,654 --> 00:23:17,074 given us. 388 00:23:17,754 --> 00:23:20,495 NICK GREENALL: So there'll be an opportunity for people to make 389 00:23:20,555 --> 00:23:23,596 pledges. And they may be pledges of what they're going to do for 390 00:23:23,656 --> 00:23:27,238 nature. And it's these pledges that will be gathered and they 391 00:23:27,258 --> 00:23:30,180 will form part of the final piece that Charlie is going to 392 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:30,560 make. 393 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,402 HEATHER BIRKETT: So as a phase one, that's an amazing way to 394 00:23:33,442 --> 00:23:37,224 capture people's feelings and connection with the tree. What 395 00:23:37,264 --> 00:23:39,025 happens to all those pledges afterwards? 396 00:23:39,126 --> 00:23:41,367 CHARLIE WHINNEY : I'll show you. So in my hands here, I've got 397 00:23:41,447 --> 00:23:44,289 one of our samples from the final sculpture. So these are 398 00:23:44,290 --> 00:23:45,089 just ideas. 399 00:23:46,030 --> 00:23:49,092 HEATHER BIRKETT: I can see some twisted wood almost in a spiral. 400 00:23:49,568 --> 00:23:53,571 With a lovely grain on it, and then engraved onto the flat side 401 00:23:53,572 --> 00:23:58,095 of the twist some words. "I will get chickens who will eat our 402 00:23:58,155 --> 00:23:59,296 scraps." 403 00:23:59,296 --> 00:24:02,438 At the exhibition at the Sill, visitors will see a section of 404 00:24:02,439 --> 00:24:05,741 the felled Sycamore Gap tree, along with all the artwork 405 00:24:05,801 --> 00:24:09,604 surrounding it. Charlie's also designed seating for the show, 406 00:24:09,864 --> 00:24:14,128 so visitors can sit, reflect and immerse in the exhibition. 407 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,802 NICK GREENALL: So we're going to go next door now and we've been 408 00:24:17,942 --> 00:24:21,004 steaming some wood. So the process of steam wood bending is 409 00:24:21,084 --> 00:24:25,167 we heat the wood in a steam chamber and all the lignin and 410 00:24:25,227 --> 00:24:28,129 cellulose in the wood becomes malleable and then you're able 411 00:24:28,130 --> 00:24:30,771 to bend it. It's quite a marvellous thing to see. So 412 00:24:30,811 --> 00:24:31,491 let's go and have a look. 413 00:24:31,831 --> 00:24:32,612 HEATHER BIRKETT: Sounds like magic. 414 00:24:34,573 --> 00:24:36,875 CHARLIE WHINNEY : This metal thing here is a compression 415 00:24:36,915 --> 00:24:39,597 strap that I'm going to put on the outside of the wood. It's 416 00:24:39,597 --> 00:24:41,938 called a compression strap so it's going to literally squash 417 00:24:42,098 --> 00:24:45,609 all the fibres as we bend around. The wood needs to be 418 00:24:45,749 --> 00:24:48,692 about 100 degrees, If it isn't then it'll break. 419 00:24:51,174 --> 00:24:54,397 So this is a piece of Ash that I'm putting in here. So I'm 420 00:24:54,517 --> 00:24:59,181 going to put it into the compression strap and I'm going 421 00:24:59,182 --> 00:25:03,485 to see how many times I can bend this piece of Ash around here. 422 00:25:03,486 --> 00:25:09,770 I'm going to go for number four. There we go. There's our thing. 423 00:25:10,190 --> 00:25:11,691 HEATHER BIRKETT: And then it was my turn to have a go. 424 00:25:12,572 --> 00:25:14,012 CHARLIE WHINNEY : Do you see all the sculptures over there? 425 00:25:14,432 --> 00:25:14,713 HEATHER BIRKETT: Yes. 426 00:25:14,873 --> 00:25:15,633 CHARLIE WHINNEY : You're making one of them. 427 00:25:15,893 --> 00:25:16,173 HEATHER BIRKETT: Okay. 428 00:25:16,553 --> 00:25:17,434 CHARLIE WHINNEY : Can you see they all look completely 429 00:25:17,474 --> 00:25:17,894 different? 430 00:25:18,034 --> 00:25:18,374 HEATHER BIRKETT: Yes. 431 00:25:18,534 --> 00:25:19,275 CHARLIE WHINNEY : So there's no rules? 432 00:25:19,555 --> 00:25:19,815 HEATHER BIRKETT: Okay. 433 00:25:19,875 --> 00:25:20,535 CHARLIE WHINNEY : You can do what you want. 434 00:25:22,276 --> 00:25:25,918 HEATHER BIRKETT: Charlie has handed me five strands of wood 435 00:25:25,978 --> 00:25:27,599 that we're going to wrap around here. 436 00:25:29,159 --> 00:25:29,319 CHARLIE WHINNEY : Yes. 437 00:25:30,020 --> 00:25:30,860 HEATHER BIRKETT: Oh, it's not easy. 438 00:25:32,241 --> 00:25:33,041 CHARLIE WHINNEY : That's perfect. There we go. 439 00:25:33,301 --> 00:25:34,662 HEATHER BIRKETT: Like a granny knot in wood. 440 00:25:37,014 --> 00:25:39,675 Thank you so much for showing me your workshop, Charlie, and to 441 00:25:39,855 --> 00:25:42,656 show us how this wood is bent. And it really gives us an 442 00:25:42,676 --> 00:25:46,818 insight into the kind of methods and skills involved in the work 443 00:25:46,858 --> 00:25:49,619 that you're going to be doing for the Sycamore Gap project. 444 00:25:51,940 --> 00:25:55,361 The story of the Sycamore Gap tree continues to touch people 445 00:25:55,401 --> 00:25:57,082 across the country and beyond. 446 00:25:58,543 --> 00:26:02,244 Stage one of the exhibition at the Sill was hugely popular with 447 00:26:02,304 --> 00:26:06,806 local people and visitors to the area. Artist Charlie Winnie. Is 448 00:26:06,826 --> 00:26:09,709 now working on a permanent exhibition featuring the tree, 449 00:26:10,249 --> 00:26:12,111 which will be revealed later this summer. 450 00:26:13,632 --> 00:26:17,576 In summer 2024, new shoots began emerging from the tree stump, 451 00:26:17,916 --> 00:26:21,460 and conservationists noticed early signs of growth again this 452 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:21,840 spring. 453 00:26:23,161 --> 00:26:26,404 The National Trust and partners are carefully monitoring the new 454 00:26:26,464 --> 00:26:30,067 growth and protecting the stump with fencing, and visitors are 455 00:26:30,087 --> 00:26:34,311 being respectfully asked not to touch the shoots. The plan is to 456 00:26:34,391 --> 00:26:37,554 leave the shoots undisturbed for a few years to see how they 457 00:26:37,594 --> 00:26:40,656 develop before deciding how best to manage the tree. 458 00:26:42,618 --> 00:26:45,861 Meanwhile, the saplings are thriving under the expert care 459 00:26:45,862 --> 00:26:49,484 of the Plant Conservation Centre. To mark the one-year-on 460 00:26:49,644 --> 00:26:53,888 anniversary, 49 of these new sycamore saplings were allocated 461 00:26:53,968 --> 00:26:57,871 to inspiring projects across the country through a campaign 462 00:26:58,011 --> 00:27:02,918 called Trees Of Hope. Planting will begin this winter. The 463 00:27:02,958 --> 00:27:06,340 Sycamore Gap Tree may be gone from the landscape, but its 464 00:27:06,441 --> 00:27:09,943 legacy lives on in a story that is far from over. 465 00:27:24,733 --> 00:27:28,116 Thank you for listening to this bonus episode of Wild Tales. I 466 00:27:28,136 --> 00:27:31,658 hope you've enjoyed it. Make sure you get every episode. By 467 00:27:31,718 --> 00:27:35,760 following Wild Tales on your favourite podcast app. Even 468 00:27:35,820 --> 00:27:39,741 better, leave us a review or comment on an episode. We love 469 00:27:39,761 --> 00:27:40,642 to hear what you think. 470 00:27:42,002 --> 00:27:46,084 Did you know Wild Tales is also on YouTube? Head to the National 471 00:27:46,144 --> 00:27:50,226 Trust YouTube channel and you can also follow us on Instagram 472 00:27:50,486 --> 00:27:54,728 at wildtalesnt. While you're there, why not check out our 473 00:27:54,788 --> 00:27:59,270 history show, Back When? Or for smaller ears, Ranger Ray and the 474 00:27:59,290 --> 00:28:01,767 Wildlifeers. See you next time.