It was neither the largest nor the oldest tree in Britain. But the majestic sycamore tree, which stood along a section of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England for 150 years, was one of the most popular.

The Sycamore Gap tree, perched symmetrically in a depression between two hills, was the site of first kisses, marriage proposals and even a place to scatter the ashes of loved ones.

When residents and admirers learned last fall that the wood had been cut down in the middle of the night, they wanted to know why and who might have committed such a senseless act.

Prosecutors are expected to begin providing those answers on Monday.

Two men are due to stand trial at Newcastle Crown Court for toppling the tree and damaging the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD to protect the north-western border of the Roman Empire.

Little has been said about the case, including a possible motive, to protect the integrity of the trial and the rights of the defendant.

Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage. Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeded £620,000 and damage to the wall was estimated at £1,100.

“This is a case that will be immediately recognizable to you and anyone who hears the charges read,” prosecutor Rebecca Brown said in May when the two defendants appeared in court for the first time.

“Prosecutors say the tree was deliberately felled on September 28 last year and the resulting fall damaged Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” Brown said. “The prosecution says these defendants were responsible as part of a joint enterprise.”

Open image in gallery

News of the tree’s demise spread quickly and the effects reverberated across the wild and picturesque Northumberland region.

“I still can’t come to terms with the tree not being there,” said Catherine Cape, who lives nearby. “I’m still very angry about it. I can’t understand why you would want to destroy something so beautiful.”

The tree became famous after it was featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thievesand was a major attraction for tourism.

Before the tree was felled, about 80 percent of inquiries at Northumberland National Park’s main visitor center were from people planning a walk to the tree, the park’s chief executive, Tony Gates, said after the tree was felled.

The broad canopy of sycamore trees, framed by two hills, has long been a popular attraction for landscape photographers and a picturesque stopover for walkers on their way along the wall.

Open image in gallery

Cape went to the tree on her first and second dates with her future husband. They later watched their daughter take her first steps there. And after both her mother and sister died in 2020, she met her brother-in-law and nephews there when they couldn’t gather indoors during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The tree was a big draw for guests staying in a small cabin Cape owns. After the tree was felled, bookings fell but have largely recovered.

She used to drive past the tree two or three days a week, but now she takes the highway instead because she doesn’t like the empty spot on the hillside where it stood.

The sycamore maple was removed with a crane and taken to National Trust property for storage. Part of the trunk was displayed at the park’s visitor center this autumn and seeds from the tree, from which seedlings were grown, will be donated for planting across the UK

Over time, the tree itself can grow back. More than two dozen shoots were discovered sprouting from the stump.

“The tree still lives on, but not in the form it was in,” Cape said. “We will never in our lives see it grow into a tree or what it was before.”