To mark the anniversary, 49 saplings of a famous British tree that was illegally felled will be shared

LONDON (AP) — It’s been a year since a sycamore tree that stood tall and proud near the Roman landmark of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England was inexplicably felled, sending a wave of shock and disbelief across the United Kingdom triggered, even in those who had never seen it up close.

Known and loved by millions, the 150-year-old tree gained worldwide fame when it was featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Sycamore gap treeas it was called because of its majestic canopy between two hills, was a popular subject for landscape photographers and a great resting place for hikers.

Now it’s being brought back to life – dozens of them.

The National Trust, a conservation organization that works to protect and open historic places and green spaces to the general public, launched an initiative on Friday that will see 49 saplings of the tree given away to communities across the United Kingdom. Further seedlings will be sent to the UK’s 15 national parks and the local primary school.

The initiative, which also involves the local Northumberland National Park Authority and Historic England, the public organization that looks after England’s historic environment, is called “Trees of Hope” and aims to “start a new chapter in life “To create this legendary tree”.

Each of the 49 saplings – one for each foot of the tree’s height at the time of felling – is expected to be 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall when delivered.

People from across the UK are invited to apply to plant a tree in publicly accessible places that have an emotional connection to people and communities. Entries must be submitted by October 25th and winners will be announced on November 18th.

“The last 12 months have been a real rollercoaster of emotions, from the hopelessness and sadness we felt when we learned the tree had been cut illegally, to the stories we told about what the tree was like meant many,” he told Andrew Poad, general manager for the National Trust’s Hadrian’s Wall properties.

Also on Friday, the Northumberland National Park Authority will mark the anniversary of the felling by opening the first phase of an exhibition called “Sycamore Gap: One Year On,” including most of the remaining portion of the tree.

There were two men – Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers charged with two counts of logging of the tree. One count allegedly involves felling the tree and the second involves damaging the adjacent wall built by Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD to protect the northwestern border of the Roman Empire. Prosecutors have calculated that the cost of the logging was about 620,000 pounds ($825,000).

Both were released on bail ahead of their trial scheduled for early December.