Huge 100ft tribute to Sycamore Gap Tree marks six months since it was felled
- 26 days ago
A huge 100ft tribute to the iconic Sycamore Gap Tree has been shared for the first time to mark six months since it was chopped down.
Retired doctor and beach artist Claire Eason led the 10-strong team of volunteers who spent six painstaking hours etching precise lines in the sand.
The group used garden rakes to carve the intricate boulders onto Bamburgh beach in Northumberland.
The iconic tree is shown standing proud along a rendition of Hadrian's Wall while a carved root scene is depicted underneath.
Claire took the lead on creating the tree and its wall while her team of dedicated volunteers created the boulder and root section.
The project was led by the BBC's The One Show and paid tribute to Sycamore Tree, which was hacked down by vandals on September 28 last year.
Claire, 59, said: "The idea is that it was quite a graphic boulder design as we had a lot of volunteers who hadn't done anything before and it made it easier.
"It was for The One Show and it was produced by a local company called Signpost Productions.
“When the tree came down a lot of us had a personal shock. That prompted me to create a design.
"After that we had an idea of doing something more inclusive than me with a community.
“Underneath there is a route system that embraces huge boulders which shows whatever happens next for the tree, where it will sprout again.
"It’s a suggestion of Hadrian's wall, nothing too detailed, just bold and graphic. I gave the volunteers free control over the boulder design.
“There were 10 people. The day did change a lot because of the weather, they turned up without any hesitation.
"We arrived at dawn on the beach and the film crew were there. The light was beautiful. There’s a lot of repetition for filming.
"The whole thing took a good six hours. The extra hour was waiting for the tide to come in.”
The group carried out the project on February 13 after a break in the weather, but have only shared it now for the first time to mark six months since it was felled.
Claire mapped out the design on her computer beforehand and uses a complicated grid system to ensure accuracy.
Retired doctor and beach artist Claire Eason led the 10-strong team of volunteers who spent six painstaking hours etching precise lines in the sand.
The group used garden rakes to carve the intricate boulders onto Bamburgh beach in Northumberland.
The iconic tree is shown standing proud along a rendition of Hadrian's Wall while a carved root scene is depicted underneath.
Claire took the lead on creating the tree and its wall while her team of dedicated volunteers created the boulder and root section.
The project was led by the BBC's The One Show and paid tribute to Sycamore Tree, which was hacked down by vandals on September 28 last year.
Claire, 59, said: "The idea is that it was quite a graphic boulder design as we had a lot of volunteers who hadn't done anything before and it made it easier.
"It was for The One Show and it was produced by a local company called Signpost Productions.
“When the tree came down a lot of us had a personal shock. That prompted me to create a design.
"After that we had an idea of doing something more inclusive than me with a community.
“Underneath there is a route system that embraces huge boulders which shows whatever happens next for the tree, where it will sprout again.
"It’s a suggestion of Hadrian's wall, nothing too detailed, just bold and graphic. I gave the volunteers free control over the boulder design.
“There were 10 people. The day did change a lot because of the weather, they turned up without any hesitation.
"We arrived at dawn on the beach and the film crew were there. The light was beautiful. There’s a lot of repetition for filming.
"The whole thing took a good six hours. The extra hour was waiting for the tide to come in.”
The group carried out the project on February 13 after a break in the weather, but have only shared it now for the first time to mark six months since it was felled.
Claire mapped out the design on her computer beforehand and uses a complicated grid system to ensure accuracy.