Age ties in with theory tree was planted in 19th century by landowner known as ‘the man who saved Hadrian’s Wall’
Scientists have for the first time confirmed the age of the felled Sycamore Gap tree, adding weight to a theory that it was planted in the late 19th century by a landowner hailed as “the man who saved Hadrian’s Wall”.
Historic England published the conclusion of an investigation by a team of experts who carried out the first dendrochronological – or tree-ring counting – analysis of the tree.
The evidence suggests the tree was at least 100-120 years old when it was felled, and almost certainly older, probably appearing in the landscape in the late 19th century or earlier.
That would tie in with a belief held by the National Trust and others that the tree was planted in the 19th century by the philanthropic, forward-thinking landowner John Clayton.
