I’m devastated. A precious part of Northumberland has been callously ripped apart. When I heard yesterday’s news about Sycamore Gap Tree, my first reaction was disbelief, then shock, then anger. Now deep sadness. The iconic tree stood proud through the centuries, a famous landmark on Hadrian’s Wall; and now, with one malicious act, it’s gone.
It was living. How could anyone do this to an ancient tree that people love? The tree was a friend to so many, an old friend. Sycamore Gap Tree was voted English Tree of the Year in 2016 by The Woodland Trust. It featured in the movie, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and in thousands of treasured photos. Sycamore Gap was a place to picnic, a place of memories. A place to be.
SYCAMORE GAP TREE
Iconic friend I’ve known you through the seasons
gentle burgeoning beauty, thick canopy of green
vibrant autumn colours and crisp winter scenes
shouldered by a wave of hills, sheltered in a bowl
majestic through the centuries you stand tall seeing all
wild windswept adventures imagining the tramp of soldiers’ feet
touching weathered rocks where your roots lace The Wall
a silhouette in sunlight, magnetic on starlit nights
picnics, proposals, photographs, family walks and joyful laughs
children playing under your shade linger and gaze in wonder
at the awe-inspiring symmetry, the dip of hills and majestic tree
a peaceful place to just be, a place for loving memories
that remain
but not the tree
goodbye dear friend, old faithful friend
missed by millions and missed by me
Rachel Rivers Porter