A sapling grown from a seed of the felled Sycamore Gap tree has been stolen.
National Trust said it was “shocked and saddened” after discovering the young tree, which was planted just two months ago at Wray Castle in Cumbria, had been uprooted and taken away.
It was one of 15 saplings grown from the Sycamore Gap tree that have so far been planted at national parks across the UK as a “symbol of hope and resilience among our most protected landscapes”, the National Trust said.
Cumbria Police said it is investigating the theft, believed to have taken place between 9 June and 16 June. The National Trust has appealed to the offender to return the sapling.
It comes almost three years since Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham chopped down the Sycamore Gap tree, made famous after featuring in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
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Situated in a dip of Hadrian’s Wall, the tree received visitors from around the globe. Its destruction at the hands of the Carruthers and Graham, each jailed for four years and three months last year, brought anger and despair.
After the theft of the sapling this month, a National Trust spokesperson said: “We are shocked and saddened that a sapling from the Sycamore Gap tree that was gifted to the Lake District National Park and planted at Wray in April 2026 has been stolen.
“Grown from seeds gathered from the much-loved tree at Hadrian’s Wall, which was illegally felled in 2023, it was one of fifteen saplings planted across the UK’s National Parks as a symbol of hope and resilience among our most protected landscapes.”
The planted sapling also marked the launch of a wellbeing initiative by the National Trust and St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston supporting people experiencing illness, dementia, and bereavement through nature.
The spokesperson added: “This tree symbolised resilience and renewal, and its loss will be deeply felt. We are working with Cumbria Police and ask anyone with information to come forward. While this is a setback, it does not undermine the spirit the tree represents. Acts of care, restoration, and community support remain far stronger.
“We urge those involved to do the right thing, return the sapling, or come forward. The tree belongs to everyone.”
A Cumbria Police spokesperson said: “Enquiries are currently ongoing and police are working with the National Trust as part of these enquiries.”
Anyone who has any information relating to the theft, or anyone who visited the site who can assist with narrowing down the time frame of the incident, is asked to contact police quoting crime reference number CRI10053058. You can report online via www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it or call 101.
