Man wrongly accused of felling Sycamore Gap tree wore ‘Rod Stewart wig’ to avoid abuse
A man falsely accused of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree says he resorted to wearing a Rod Stewart-style wig in public to avoid harassment.
Walter Renwick, a 69-year-old lumberjack, was arrested the day after the famous tree was felled in September 2023. Although he was released without charge by December, public suspicion has continued to follow him.
The much-loved 70ft sycamore, featured in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, stood in a picturesque dip along Hadrian’s Wall and was considered one of the UK’s most iconic trees.
Walter Renwick. Pic: BBC
Its dramatic overnight destruction sparked outrage.
Two men – Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria – were later found guilty of criminal damage by a unanimous jury at Newcastle Crown Court in May. A judge described the pair as ‘moronic’ for their actions.
Daniel Graham. Pic: Northumbria Police
Despite being cleared, Mr Renwick has struggled with the lingering effects of the accusation.
Speaking to the BBC this week, he described the emotional toll of the police search at his Northumberland home: ‘There were police everywhere, drones flying around the valley, divers in the lake – they were 100% certain I’d done it,’ he recalled.
‘Every time I went shopping, people were nudging each other and saying “that’s him that cut the tree down’, stuff like that.
Adam Carruthers. Pic: Northumbria Police
‘I know it was daft but I put a Rod Stewart wig on so people didn’t spot me.’
Months before the tree was felled, Mr Renwick had been evicted from Plankey Mill Farm – land that had been in his family for generations. Though he had no legal claim to the tenancy, online speculation falsely linked his eviction to a possible motive for the felling.
‘I’d just lost everything I had — my cows, my sheep, my parents’ stuff. I’d lost my home, and then this,’ he said.
Reflecting on the outcome of the trial, Mr Renwick said: ‘I just keep asking myself why they did it. Was it just attention seeking? I don’t know what it was but, for me at least, it’s over.
‘Actually, you know, the tree – that was one thing. But losing my farm. That was the thing that hurt most of all.’
