Overview

• Experts took a cross-section from the felled trunk to Historic England’s Portsmouth lab and counted growth rings under controlled conditions.
• Researchers found the sycamore began as two separate stems that fused when the tree was about 30 to 35 years old.
• The result is a minimum age because roughly a metre of the stump remains in the ground, so the tree could have been older.
• The analysed slice will be retained in Historic England’s National Wood Collection to support future research.
• Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were each jailed for four years and three months for illegally felling the landmark, as conservation bodies continue legacy and propagation efforts.