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The landmark tree at Sycamore Gap located near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, UK, has been felled.<\/p>
The tree, which is considered an iconic symbol of the north east of England, was “deliberately felled,” say Northumberland National Park Authority officials.<\/p>
The incident occurred in the early morning of 28 September.<\/p>
The 300-year-old tree was a landmark often captured by photographers, including astrophotographers who took advantage of the region’s dark skies to image the tree against a starry night sky.<\/p> Kielder Observatory, which is located in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, and which is one of the UK’s most popular dark-sky sites, said the news was “devastating for the region” in a post on X (formerly Twitter)<\/p> “We\u2019ve seen so many beautiful images of Sycamore Gap over the years and hope that there is some accountability for this act of vandalism.”<\/p> Dan Monk, an astronomer at Kielder Observatory posted on X: “Living just 5 minutes down the road, it has been a place of solace for me on dark starry nights.<\/p> “It was a symbol that represented the unrivalled history and beauty of Northumberland.”<\/p>