If this is Tuesday, it must be England #151

Almost three weeks ago, the iconic Sycamore Gap Tree was cut down in a senseless act of vandalism.

  For nearly 200 years, the iconic sycamore tree stood tall as a striking image at Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort in Northumberland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The tree was made famous in the 1991 movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in the scenes where Robin (Kevin Costner) and Azeem (Morgan Freeman) come across the sheriff's men chasing a young boy.  It was located in a dramatic dip in the landscape and photographed countless times by amateur and professional photographers alike.

The Northumberland National Park Authority said they believed it was done deliberately.  The tree appeared to have been cut down with a chainsaw at the base of its trunk, with a white line spray painted on it just below the cut.  Police are continuing their inquiries, several arrests have been made but no formal charges as yet.

According to the National Trust, pledged to preserve Britain's historic and natural places, the tree has been carefully moved.  Experts from Newcastle University scanned the tree to create a 3D record and Historic England, the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England's spectacular historic environment, examined the damage to the wall before the tree was carefully removed by crane and taken to be safely stored.  Seeds and material have been collected to be looked after at the National Trust's Plant Conservation Centre.

It is impossible to understand the mindset of someone who would commit such a senseless act of vandalism.