Green shoots of hope emerged this morning among nature fans, after specialists suggested the famous, felled, tree which stood at the Sycamore Gap may one day return to its former glory.
The solitary bit of foliage was known for growing at a natural trough between two small hills at the Roman-era Hadrian’s Wall, creating quite the picturesque scene.
The tree was often named after the 1991 film it starred in, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and was a real tourist attraction.
The Northumberland icon was even named Tree of the Year in 2016 by Woodland Trust.
Its exact age was unknown, but it was believed to be around 300 years old.
However, it was found cut in two in a reported act of vandalism on Thursday morning – prompting an outpouring of sadness on social media.
Still, the National Trust general manager Andrew Poad told BBC Breakfast that the stump which remained was “healthy” and so could be used to grow new shoots – a technique known as coppicing.
He said: “It’s a very healthy tree, we can see that now, because of the condition of the stump, it may well regrow a coppice from the stump, and if we could nurture that then that might be one of the best outcomes, and then we keep the tree.”
However, the estate manager at the Woodland Trust, said it would take a few years to develop into “even a small tree” – and up to 200 years “before it is anywhere close to what we have lost”.
He added: “Once a tree of this age has gone, the sad truth is you can’t replace them within any visible timeframe. It takes centuries.”
A 16-year-old boy was arrested on the suspicion of criminal damage as part of a police investigation into the incident on Thursday.
Police said at the time that he was in custody and helping with the investigation.
Northumberland National Park Authority officials have also concluded that the tree was “deliberately felled”.
The high sheriff of Northumberland, Diana Barkes, said the incident was a “huge loss” to everyone, according to the BBC.
She added: “Whether we can create something out of the wood for people to come and remember the tree and remember their loved ones, I don’t know, but maybe.”