The Sycamore Gap tree has returned to Northumberland, finding its permanent home in an interactive exhibition which invites visitors to experience, touch and even hug the world-famous tree.
Before its illegal felling two years ago, the centuries-old tree had stood sentinel over Hadrian’s Wall for generations, providing an unforgettable backdrop for treasured memories and moments.
Now, the largest section of its trunk forms the centrepiece of Coming Home: Sycamore Gap, a permanent and free exhibition at The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre, just minutes from the tree’s roots on Hadrian’s Wall, and a short distance from your suite at Chesters Stables.
Northumberland’s icon
Sitting in a natural dip of 2000-year-old Hadrian’s Wall, the Sycamore Gap tree became beloved across the world as more and more people discovered its quiet beauty, providing a spectacular setting for proposals and anniversaries, cherished family photographs and treasured memories.
A natural icon of Northumberland, it was illegally felled in September 2023 – an act which sparked outrage and sadness worldwide. Now, nearly two years after its fall and just weeks after the two men responsible were sentenced to jail time for their mindless act of vandalism, the largest section of the trunk has returned home.
Sycamore Gap: Coming Home
The permanent exhibition, Sycamore Gap: Coming Home, opened at The Sill Landscape Discovery Centre in July 2025. Commissioned by Northumberland National Park Authority it follows a public consultation, exploring the deeply rooted personal connection people felt with the Sycamore Gap tree and asking how best to preserve its legacy.
The largest surviving section of the tree trunk forms the centrepiece of the exhibition, standing upright once more. It is surrounded by three oak benches from which, tendrils of steam-bent wood flow – a natural canopy sheltering and embracing visitors. The shaped wood features words of memory, sorrow and hope taken from workshops and submissions to the public consultation.
The result is an accessible space where people can gather, sit, reflect as well as an opportunity to touch, hug and connect with this much-loved tree once more.
The artist
Commissioned by the Northumberland National Park Authority, artist Charlie Whinney and the Creative Communities CIC worked to bring the exhibition to life. They ran workshops with schools, community groups and visitors to delve deeper into the connection between people, nature and place.
Entrusted with the largest section of the tree’s trunk, more than 6ft long, Charlie worked from his studio in Cumbria to create beauty from loss.
He said: “The actual design came from what people said.
“They wanted to be able to sit down, so we made some benches, and also pretty much 100% of the people we spoke to said they want to be able to access the tree and touch it.”
How to visit
Free and fully accessible, the Coming Home: Sycamore Gap exhibition is on permanent display at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre.
Just minutes from Hadrian’s Wall in the heart of Northumberland, and a short journey from Chesters Stables in the tranquil Tyne Valley, experience the legacy of Sycamore Gap before setting out on scenic a walk to its former home.
