The Tree | Sycamore Gap Original Painting Hadrians Wall – Alan Reed
Sycamore Gap
The famous Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland was voted Tree of the Year in 2016. It was a public vote for the nations best loved tree, organised by The Woodland Trust.
Robin Hood’s Tree
The film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner was filmed on a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall which has a Sycamore Tree growing in the dip. As a result, it is often referred to as Robin Hood’s Tree.
I once painted a Sycamore Gap Painting in winter for a charity Christmas card which proved to be very popular. On that occasion I decided to paint it set against the backdrop of summer sunlit clouds. It’s an unusual composition but that’s because it’s such an unusual scene.
Hadrian’s Wall
For those who love to walk Hadrian’s Wall, Sycamore Gap is a familiar sight and often a talking point. If I ever take the Military Road, which has to be one of the best drives in the UK, I allow myself a quick glance to see the lone tree standing in the gap. In September 2023 it was cruelly cut down.
The first original Sycamore Gap painting in watercolour of was sold during lockdown.
I use this popular scene as a step by step watercolour demonstrations for the charity Junction 42. I’ve put together a range of landscapes and seascapes for men and women in UK prisons. These “In Cell”projects have been a real help for the prisoners, particularly during lockdown.
Felling of the Tree
Following the felling of the tree, please read our latest Sycamore Gap Update.
The Sycamore Gap tree is one of the most photographed in the country. It stands in a dramatic dip in Hadrian’s Wall in the Northumberland National Park.
The Roman Milecastle 39 is just to its left. It’s known as Castle Nick, as it sits in a nick in the hillside.
The site was excavated between 1908 and 1911 and re-excavated between 1982 and 1987. In the south-east corner was a stone oven and the south-west corner a rectangular building with a sunken floor associated with Roman finds. The milecastle appears to have been occupied until the late 4th century. In the 18th century, a possible milking house was built in the west corner.
Sycamore Gap is looked after by both Northumberland National Park and the National Trust.
Sycamore Gap Painting sold