Sycamore Gap Tree felled..

Towerpower99

Towerpower99

Well-known member
Absolute madness and pointless, a 16 yr old has now been arrested for felling it.

Why would you walk all that way up with a chainsaw to do that….i presume a chainsaw by the cut and size of the tree…

Hope they get a strong punishment but I doubt they will…probably plead that they weren’t breast fed as a baby and it all stems from that….
 
In this case, despite his age, I hope the magistrates release his name. He deserves that, to make his life a misery until people eventually forget. That should only take a couple of decades.

Twenty years, with the incident always coming up at every job interview he attends, with every girl he asks out and every social event he attends.

His best option would be to disappear into the Army for 20 years… if they will have him. Or change his name by deed poll in a few years.
 
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Absolute little bastard. I think there are plenty of people up in the North East that will be looking to give the little rat an absolute pasting.

It's an integral part of the North East's culture and people travel from all over the world to see it. I read a comment from a local saying it's no different than someone pulling down the Angel of the North or the Millennium bridge. To be honest it's far worse due to it's age. Nothing is sacred or beyond the line for these vile little shits anymore.
 
Sorry I might be very old fashioned, but I would like the law changed so that young offenders are named. I think if people were named they might think twice about doing things.
 
Macseasider said:
Absolute little bastard. I think there are plenty of people up in the North East that will be looking to give the little rat an absolute pasting.

It's an integral part of the North East's culture and people travel from all over the world to see it. I read a comment from a local saying it's no different than someone pulling down the Angel of the North or the Millennium bridge. To be honest it's far worse due to it's age. Nothing is sacred or beyond the line for these vile little shits anymore.
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You can re house a statue and rebuild a bridge, you cannot instantly regrow a 200 year old tree😡
 
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Macseasider said:
It's an integral part of the North East's culture and people travel from all over the world to see it. I read a comment from a local saying it's no different than someone pulling down the Angel of the North or the Millennium bridge. To be honest it's far worse due to it's age. Nothing is sacred or beyond the line for these vile little shits anymore.
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If the Angel of the North or the Millennium bridge had been damaged they could be repaired as good as new. As you say, this was an icon of the Wall and the NE and cannot be repaired or replaced. It might take 200 years for another tree to grow to that size.

It’s possible that a huge operation with much effort and cost might transplant another largish sycamore tree into the same place, but that would be very difficult given that Hadrian’s Wall is a scheduled Ancient Monument (Grade 1) and cannot be disrupted.

And largish trees do not often survive transplanting very well, since they lose all their extensive fine root structure that feeds them water.

Edit: The Sycamore tree was thought to be 300 years old. No doubt, they can now count all the growth rings in the trunk.
I hope the tree trunk is now well-seasoned and something magnificent and monumental made from it. Perhaps a great piece of furniture for presentation to the King. Or for the Mayor of Newcastle city.
 
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Very upsetting for some including myself . Meanwhile local and county councils get away with felling huge numbers of healthy mature trees in cities and towns all over England, and guess what we are all going to be wishing for as the summer temperatures rise . A solitary tree in the sticks is difficult to save if some idiot has set his mind on an act of vandalism. However town and city trees should be regarded as some of the most important community assets . Some will only realise their value in years to come when the majority have been felled. Makes my blood boil, but the majority don’t seem to give a toss about trees in fact consider them an inconvenience. Too many people have become completely removed from nature and attach no value to it .
 
Remember in the 90's there was a pear tree on Collingwood ave, someone said it had a preservation order on it. Few years later it had gone. Think it was the only tree left of the layton hall orchard.
 
I doubt a 16 year has done the tree felling unless he's from the countryside and has experience of using a large chainsaw. The cuts indicate someone who knows how to operate one. The cuts are clean. The tree has fallen the way intended. I expect this kid knows whos done it and has not kept his mouth shut. There a rumours the land owner is involved as he's fed up with people walking across his land. Tough shit mate. This was a place for everyone to visit. Whoever has done it should be jailed. Unfortunately if there is no TPO or its not a conservation site the may favour the feller as long as they do it with land owners permission. Its horrendous.
Edit: the lack of outcry from the landowner tells the true story.
 
groundsman said:
I doubt a 16 year has done the tree felling unless he's from the countryside and has experience of using a large chainsaw. The cuts indicate someone who knows how to operate one. The cuts are clean. The tree has fallen the way intended. I expect this kid knows whos done it and has not kept his mouth shut. There a rumours the land owner is involved as he's fed up with people walking across his land. Tough shit mate. This was a place for everyone to visit. Whoever has done it should be jailed. Unfortunately if there is no TPO or its not a conservation site the may favour the feller as long as they do it with land owners permission. Its horrendous.
Edit: the lack of outcry from the landowner tells the true story.
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Almost certain this was not the work of 1 person.

There was a cut mark sprayed in white paint. There is an adult that knows what they are doing. The 16 year old is almost definitely the fall guy.
 
groundsman said:
I doubt a 16 year has done the tree felling unless he's from the countryside and has experience of using a large chainsaw. The cuts indicate someone who knows how to operate one. The cuts are clean. The tree has fallen the way intended. I expect this kid knows whos done it and has not kept his mouth shut. There a rumours the land owner is involved as he's fed up with people walking across his land. Tough shit mate. This was a place for everyone to visit. Whoever has done it should be jailed. Unfortunately if there is no TPO or its not a conservation site the may favour the feller as long as they do it with land owners permission. Its horrendous.
Edit: the lack of outcry from the landowner tells the true story.
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Sorry, but there is some speculation in all that. “The cuts indicate someone who knows how to operate one.” ( a chainsaw)
Rubbish. I know how to fell a big tree and that does not look the safest. There’s two cuts almost parallel and meeting on the level to each. No control at all. If you want to cut a big tree down, you make a lower wedge cut to control the direction of fall and then an upper cut through the trunk to sever it. Not seen here.
It fell the way it was intended? What? Across the wall? It could have kicked in almost any direction, after hitting that. That was just the accidental result of a cowboy.

Forget the landowner. I am sure he has many alibis. No-one will trouble him.
BUT, the landowner is supposed to be the National Trust isn’t it !? For once, my membership fees might be used for some real good in investigating this. Yes, I hope there is further investigation and possible prosecution. BUT, I will not hold my breath, cos I don’t think that will come to pass.

Edit: Having seen some of the close-up photos of the cut trunk, there may have been an initial wedge cut or hinge cut before the trunk was sliced from the other side. In which case it might have been intended that the tree fell over the Wall. But why, cos that was bloody dangerous? But I think there is a farm track that runs on the other side, which would make it easier to remove the felled tree in sections. But why would a vandal think like that? With the arrest of the 60 yo man, there may be more to this than first thought.
 
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Archibald Knox said:
Sorry, but there is some speculation in all that. “The cuts indicate someone who knows how to operate one.” ( a chainsaw)
Rubbish. I know how to fell a big tree and that does not look the safest. There’s two cuts almost parallel and on the level to each. No control at all. If you want to cut a big tree down, you make a lower wedge cut to control the direction of fall and then an upper cut through the trunk to sever it. Not seen here.
It fell the way it was intended? What? Across the wall? That was just the accidental result of a cowboy.

Forget the landowner. I am sure he has many alibis. No-one will trouble him.
BUT, the landowner is supposed to be the National Trust isn’t it ! For once, my membership fees might be used for some real good in investigating this. Yes, I hope there is further investigation and possible prosecution. BUT, I will not hold my breath, cos I don’t think that will come to pass.
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So what would you speculate is behind it
 
Gordon62 said:
Sorry I might be very old fashioned, but I would like the law changed so that young offenders are named. I think if people were named they might think twice about doing things.
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Don't need to name him. He lives in the house with 3 tons of logs in the front garden.
 
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