A video has captured the moment new life sprouted from seedlings rescued from the Sycamore Gap tree that was mysteriously cut down last year.

There was national outcry in September 2023 when the much-loved, 200-year-old Northumberland tree, which stood in a dramatic dip on Hadrian’s Wall, was cut down in mysterious circumstances.

Despite a number of arrests being made, no further action has been taken on the matter. Two men remain on bail.

The Northern Echo: The young twigs and seeds rescued by the National Trust from the Sycamore Gap tree are being kept in a top secret greenhouse.The young twigs and seeds rescued by the National Trust from the Sycamore Gap tree are being kept in a top secret greenhouse. (Image: PA)

Seedlings rescued from the Sycamore Gap tree begin to sprout

Young twigs and seeds thrown to the ground when the Sycamore Gap tree - originally planted in the natural dip of Hadrian's wall in the late 1800s - was cut down were salvaged by the National Trust, which cares for the site along with the Northumberland National Park Authority.

The National Trust previously said it was hopeful the sycamore would live on after scientists found that salvaged seeds and cuttings were showing positive signs of being viable for new growth.

The charity said in December 2023 it hoped more than 30% of the mature seeds and half of the cuttings it saved from the tree had remained viable options for re-growth.

It was also hopeful that the trunk of the original Sycamore Gap tree would re-grow over time, but it could take up to three years to know if that is possible. 

Now, BBC News has captured footage of new life sprouting from rescued seeds and twigs of the Sycamore Gap tree. 

The news outlet said it saw the new shoots on a rare visit to the secret National Trust centre which is protecting the seedlings.

You can see the footage in the article above.

The National Trust's director of gardens and parklands, Andy Jasper, speaking to the BBC said people have cried holding the pot with the green shoot.

The National Trust is still deciding what to do with them once they are strong enough, but for now, the priority is nurturing the tiny shoots, BBC News reports.

The location of the high security National Trust greenhouse where the seedlings are being kept is a secret. 

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All the BBC could reveal was it is in Devon. 

Explaining what other wonders the greenhouse contained, BBC News said: "It guards genetic copies of some of the UK's most valuable plants and trees.

"Its hall of fame includes copies of the apple tree that Sir Isaac Newton said inspired his theories on gravity, and a 2,500-year-old yew that witnessed King Henry VIII's relationship with Anne Boleyn in the 1530s."