When award-winning artist Lucy Pittaway pledged to create a woodland to commemorate the tragically felled Sycamore Gap tree, she could not have anticipated how it would capture the public’s imagination.

Following the felling of the tree in September 2023, Yorkshire-based artist Lucy was inundated with requests to immortalise it in one of her paintings. At first reluctant, Lucy agreed only if its creation could become a legacy to the tree, and contribute positively to the environment and wider community.

She and her team came up with the idea to plant a tree for every print sold of her now iconic Sycamore Gap creation, which depicts the centuries-old tree with a Northern Lights backdrop.

Demand was unprecedented and thousands of prints were sold in record time.

Then came the challenge of finding somewhere to plant the trees and, at the same time, bring to life Lucy’s ambition to create a fitting legacy for Sycamore Gap which could be enjoyed for generations to come, just as the tree itself had done.

Collaborating with Swinton Estates, whose woodlands had been badly affected by larch tree blight, sales of Lucy’s Sycamore Gap have contributed more than 600 trees including sycamore along with oak, rowan, hazel and other native trees, which have already been planted close to the Druid’s Temple near Masham. A further 400 are planned for planting later this year.

Together, these trees form part of a destination woodland and trail that will, over time, include sculptures, art resources, and attractions – bringing to life Lucy’s vision for a fitting memorial for Sycamore Gap which stood alongside Hadrian’s Wall for 200 years.

“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. I hope this is an area that can be used for relaxation for generations to come.

“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.

“If what we are doing can inspire people’s interest in art and the countryside then the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree will be a positive one.”