Iconic Trees and Nature Education

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision for a register of iconic trees; to make provision about the designation and protection of trees on that register; to require the Secretary of State to review the provision of nature education in England; and for connected purposes.

It should hardly be surprising that, as the Member of Parliament for Hexham, I am often called the hon. Member for the Sycamore Gap. The summer of 1991 saw many landmarks: it was the summer I was born, “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” was released, and Bryan Adams introduced the Sycamore Gap to a transatlantic audience. It is a profound honour to represent a constituency whose identity is forever marked by the legacy of the Sycamore Gap: a reminder of our rich heritage, the strength of our community and our enduring hope.

Planted in the late-1800s by the previous landowner John Clayton, that sycamore tree stood in an idyllic dip along Hadrian’s wall. It was not just visually iconic; it became a cultural symbol, popularised by numerous paintings, photographs and private moments, and that infamous 1991 film. As the film’s director, Kevin Reynolds, captured, the Sycamore Gap was

“one of the most quintessentially idyllic spots in the world…I found it so special and I wanted to share with people how special it was.”

He is most certainly right.

That iconic tree touched the lives of so many, and not only in the north-east but right across the world. It was a picturesque destination for hikes, stargazing and family walks, and it was popular for sentimental moments, such as marriage proposals or the scattering of a loved one’s ashes. It provided an opportunity to connect with over 1,900 years of north-east heritage, with its situation along Hadrian’s wall. There really is, and was, no place quite like it. The legacy of the Sycamore Gap hardly needs recounting. Hon. Members across the House will agree that the Sycamore Gap tree was not just a landmark; it was a majestic symbol of resilience, of north-east identity and of belonging.

It is difficult to put into words the events that took place on the evening of 27 September 2023. The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree sent shockwaves that not only went through the north-east but reverberated right across the world. For many, it felt like an attack, with a beloved landmark taken from us overnight and a piece of our shared identity toppled. Communities throughout my constituency and beyond mourn not just a tree, but the memories, the heritage and the sense of place that it embodied. It illustrated the true fragility of the natural and cultural treasures that we so often take for granted.

In one night, a devastating and barbaric act of vandalism toppled a landmark that has symbolised north-east heritage for centuries. But if there is one thing to note about the north-east’s spirit, it is its resilience. Communities across Northumberland and the north-east—a region that is so often overlooked—have banded together in solidarity, facing hardship head-on and standing stronger as a result. While grieving for a landmark lost, that resilience has translated into lessons learned.

I pay tribute to the outstanding work of the Northumberland national park and the National Trust, which have been working tirelessly alongside Historic England and the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership to ensure that a fitting legacy for both nature and people can flourish following that terrible act of vandalism. At The Sill—the national landscape discovery centre—the largest section of the felled tree is now on public display. I had the pleasure of visiting it during the unveiling of the exhibition, recognising the lasting connection that the display will offer for future generations.

Just this week, saplings taken from the original Sycamore Gap tree are ready to be planted as part of the National Trust’s “tree of hope” initiative. Each sapling will carry a message of hope and resilience, with 49 saplings—each representing a foot in the height of the tree at the time of its felling—being distributed right across the country. Last week, a sapling was planted in the grounds of Hexham hospital, offering a symbol for those visiting loved ones. A sapling will soon be planted to commemorate the tragic murder of Holly Newton in my constituency and to recognise the phenomenal work of Holly’s mother, Micala Trussler, and her charity Holly’s Hope. I take the opportunity once again to put on record my thanks and admiration for her dedication and campaigning to secure a change in the law, which I fully support.

As the closest school to the Sycamore Gap, Henshaw Church of England primary school will plant a sapling on its grounds, as will Northumberland national park in the new year. I look forward to visiting those sites throughout my constituency to pay tribute not just to the tree, but to the people and charities inspiring such hope and resilience.

The legacy of the Sycamore Gap will not just be reserved for Northumberland and the north-east, however. Saplings are being planted in constituencies right across the country. A sapling is being planted in Staffordshire to commemorate the Minnie Pit mining disaster, in Berkshire to honour Greenham common, and in Leeds to recognise the Rob Burrow centre for motor neurone disease at Seacroft hospital. The Sycamore Gap tree’s legacy will prevail and so, too, will the lessons of environmental protection triumph.

One of the defendants expressed his delusional disbelief, claiming that it was “just a tree”, but the tree was, and is, so much more than that. Trees are not “just trees”. Our planet is intrinsically dependent on them. They are vital to sustaining our planet, cleaning our air and supporting our biodiversity and ecosystems. They are homes to nature, wildlife, birds and insects. Without them, our planet would falter. There is also a reason that trees appear so often in our culture and literature: for their symbolic significance. In Greek mythology, the tale of King Erysichthon claimed that the felling of a tree represented a moral failure. In the final book of “The Chronicles of Narnia”, the destruction of trees in Lantern Waste alludes to the end of the world. Without trees, our heritage would flatline, our ecosystems would fail and our history would be forgotten.

I am therefore calling for a register of iconic trees, from the Ankerwycke yew in Berkshire associated with the sealing of Magna Carta and the Major oak in Sherwood Forest, legendary home of Robin Hood, to the Fortingall yew in Perthshire and the Crowhurst yew in the churchyard of St George’s church—the list goes on. Such trees can and should be classified as iconic for holding widely recognised cultural, historical, ecological and symbolic significance. Alongside a register of iconic trees, a curriculum review can and should incorporate the value of understanding the legacy of trees and the role they play in local communities, and allow nature to be an educator for future generations. Teachers and schools have a unique role to play in facilitating children’s connections with nature so that they too can understand how to protect our local heritage and engage in climate protection.

Tony Gates, chief executive officer of the Northumberland National Park Authority, has said:

“The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree has shown just how much nature and landscape mean to people and to their very wellbeing… We are determined to honour the spirit of Sycamore Gap through opportunities to connect with the tree, and to create a legacy for both people and nature.”

This Bill would not be possible without the outstanding work of Northumberland national park, the National Trust, and local organisations and individuals right across the Hexham constituency. I thank every single person for their dedicated commitment to honouring the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree, and I hope that any Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers on the Front Bench will note the contribution of the Northumberland national park and look favourably on a rethinking of the national parks funding formula.

Though the Sycamore Gap tree has fallen, its legacy stands unshaken. It is our solemn responsibility to honour that legacy, to recognise the hope, endurance and unity that it inspired and to safeguard the iconic trees that shape our national landscape and ensure that they are cherished, protected and never consigned to memory alone.

That Joe Morris, Michael Wheeler, James Naish, Laurence Turner, Leigh Ingham, David Smith, Dave Robertson, Markus Campbell-Savours, Feryal Clark and Sir Alec Shelbrooke present the Bill.

Joe Morris accordingly presented the Bill.