One year after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, a tribute led by artist Lucy Pittaway has resulted in more than 1,000 trees being planted.
Following the tree’s destruction in September 2023, the award-winning Middlesbrough-born artist was flooded with requests to memorialise the beloved landmark in her artwork.
Initially hesitant, she agreed on the condition that the project would have a positive environmental impact.
Her painting of the tree, set against the Northern Lights backdrop, resonated with the public. With thousands of prints selling across North Yorkshire and the Lake District.
Proceeds from each sale are being used to plant trees, contributing to a new publicly accessible woodland in partnership with Swinton Estate, which has suffered from the tree blight disease in recent years.
The woodland, near Masham’s Druid’s Temple, includes sycamore, oak, rowan, hazel, and other native species. More than 1,000 trees have been planted, with 400 more planned for later this year.
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The trail will also feature sculptures and art installations, merging nature and art.
“Like everyone else, I was so saddened to hear about the felling of the tree,” said Lucy.
“To now see this new woodland coming to life is wonderful and I’m so grateful to everyone who has helped us come this far.
“Thanks to everyone’s generosity and interest in the painting, we have thousands of other trees still to plant in a variety of locations and we’re excited to be able to continually contribute to the community around us and enhance the environment at the same time.”
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