Sycamore Gap sapling planted at Hetton Lyons Country Park
It was planted as part of the National Trust’s Trees of Hope initiative
Last updated 1st Dec 2025
A sapling grown from the Sycamore Gap tree has been planted at Hetton Lyons Country Park as part of the National Trust’s Trees of Hope initiative.
It is one of 49 given by the Trust to individuals, communities and organisations across the UK to create a legacy for the Sycamore Gap tree, which stood next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland for over 120 years before it was illegally felled in September 2023.
The sapling was planted by Councillor Lindsey Leonard and Ger Fowler from Veterans in Crisis in Hetton Lyons Country Park to celebrate National Tree Week. Care and management of the tree will be undertaken by Springboard Sunderland Trust who manage the site in partnership with Sunderland City Council. Veterans in Crisis responded to a request from the National Trust for planting locations, and Hetton Lyons was selected.
Councillor Lindsey Leonard, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Net Zero at Sunderland City Council said:
"It’s a real honour to plant a sapling grown from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree here at Hetton Lyons Country Park during National Tree Week. This tree is a powerful symbol of resilience and hope, and it’s wonderful that our city can play a part in keeping its legacy alive.
"National Tree Week is about celebrating the importance of trees in our communities, and this sapling will grow and stand as a reminder of the role we all have in protecting and nurturing our environment for future generations."
Ger Fowler, Founder and Chief Executive of Veterans in Crisis, said:
"It’s a great honour for Veterans in Crisis to be involved in such a massive country wide campaign. When our client Mick Potter told us we had won a sapling, we were all so proud to have been chosen.
"We have dedicated this tree to our client WO1 Isaac Curran who has sadly just died, he was our most remotely located client living in Scotland, he has gifted us all his tools and machinery from his work shop so we can launch Veterans into Carpentry in Springboard's Pallion HQ, giving many more Veterans from around the region the chance to learn new skills and work opportunities and also collaborating with many more Veterans organisations around the region."
Hetton Lyons Country Park is a Green Flag Park and is one of Sunderland’s much loved green spaces. Transformed from a former colliery site the country park is now a haven for wildlife and recreation. With its lakes, woodlands and walking trails, the park is a popular destination for families, walkers and nature enthusiasts. The park plays an important role in the city’s commitment to biodiversity and community wellbeing.
Sycamores, which are well-known for their rapid growth, can grow two to three feet per year under optimal conditions and be 75 to 100 feet tall when they reach maturity.
The Trees of Hope was launched by the National Trust in September 2024, one year after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree. Nearly 500 applications were received for the 49 saplings – one to represent each foot in height that the tree was at the time of felling. The saplings, now between 4 and 6 feet tall, were grown from seeds rescued from the felled tree and have been carefully nurtured at the National Trust’s Plant Conservation Centre.
All the saplings are being planted in publicly accessible spaces in locations across the UK, allowing many more people to feel part of the iconic tree’s legacy.
Andrew Poad, General Manager for the National Trust’s Hadrian Wall properties, said:
"It’s incredible to think that the first ‘offspring’ of this very famous tree are now being planted – it feels like just yesterday that those tentative first shoots appeared. Over the next couple of years, the saplings will really start to take shape, and because sycamores are so hardy, we’re confident they’ll be able to withstand a range of conditions.
"To be able to keep the story of the Sycamore Gap alive in all four corners of the UK and in so many different settings is a fitting tribute, and we hope that, just like the original tree, these young saplings will touch many people’s lives."
For more information about the Trees of Hope, please visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/saplings.