Damage to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland was caused by Sycamore Gap tree felling, Historic England suspects

After the fallen tree was removed from the area by the National Trust, the heritage protection public body conducted an appraisal of the wall in the area and discovered damage to two of its stones.

The iconic tree was cut down in what police believe was a deliberate act of vandalism under the cover of darkness on Wednesday, September 27.

A spokesperson for Historic England said: “We have now carried out a full archaeological appraisal of the damage to the wall and can confirm there are some cracks in two of the wall facing stones, which we believe have been caused by the felling of the sycamore tree.

“This information will be fed into the ongoing investigation by Northumbria Police, and we will also be working with the National Trust on a plan to repair the damage.”

The organisation is also planning to conduct scientific analysis of the tree to determine its precise age.

The tree is currently being stored in an undisclosed location by the National Trust while discussions on what to do with it take place.

Three men and one teenage boy have been arrested and bailed by Northumbria Police over the course of their investigation into the incident.

News that the tree, which is also known as the Robin Hood tree after it featured in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, had been felled prompted an outpouring of grief across Northumberland and the world.