Sycamore Gap sapling stolen from castle grounds

The sapling was one of 15 given to national parks across the UK

One of the saplings grown from the felled Sycamore Gap tree has been stolen from a castle's grounds.

The young tree, which was believed to have been stolen earlier this month, was planted at Wray Castle, near Ambleside, Cumbria, in April 2026.

It was one of 49 grown from seeds taken from the tree, which was illegally felled in September 2023.

The National Trust runs the estate and general manager Laura Lee said the tree's loss would be "deeply felt", adding: "The tree belongs to everyone."

She said: "We urge those involved to do the right thing, return the sapling, or come forward."

The sapling was planted in the castle estate as part of a joint 'Branches of Care' initiative between the National Trust and St Mary's Hospice in Ulverston, supporting people experiencing illness, dementia and bereavement through nature.

Jez Westgarth, the trust's assistant director for Cumbria and Lancashire, said his team believed the sapling was taken from the remote site to be replanted elsewhere.

"It hasn't just been pulled up recklessly - somebody's thought about what they're doing," he said.

Westgarth said although the National Trust occasionally saw thefts and vandalism on its sites, it was the first time he had be made aware of a plant being taken in this way.

"Ultimately we don't understand it but we would really like the sapling back," he said.

The tree was one of the most photographed in the world and appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

Arboriculturist Christopher Neilan created the Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees (CAVAT) which was used to determine the value of the Sycamore Gap tree.

He said estimating the value of the sapling was difficult, because of its intangible sentimental value, likening it to a piece of "stolen art".

"In one sense, it's only paint on canvas - in another, perhaps it isn't worth anything because you can't sell it on the open market.

Cumbria Police said the theft was believed to have taken place between 9 and 16 June.

The force is also appealing to anyone who visited the castle and its grounds to come forward with information which might help narrow down the timeframe.

In July 2025, the two men who chopped down the Sycamore Gap tree, which was valued at £450,000, were jailed for four years and three months.

Daniel Graham, 39, and 32-year-old Adam Carruthers have never revealed their motive.

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external.