Sycamore Gap, properly Castle Nick, is the dramatic dip in the Whin Sill crags between Steel Rigg and Housesteads, with Milecastle 39 sitting in its lowest point. The famous tree was felled by vandals in September 2023, but the gap itself remains one of the finest sights on the trail, free and right on the path.
What you see
A milecastle was placed exactly where the terrain funnelled traffic through the crags: Milecastle 39 sits in the bottom of the gap, a controlled gateway, with the wall plunging in on one side and climbing out on the other.
The solitary sycamore that made the gap famous was illegally felled in September 2023. Shoots are regrowing from the stump and saplings grown from the tree are being planted on. The walk has lost a photograph, not its point.
Fitting it into the walk
It lies on the crag section that most itineraries walk as the day from Chollerford to Once Brewed, close to the end of that day. The stretch from Steel Rigg to Housesteads is also the day walk we would choose above all others if you only walk one.
Getting there on foot
On the trail between Steel Rigg and Housesteads; you walk straight through it.
- About 11 miles along the trail from Chollerford.
- About half a mile along the trail to Once Brewed.
Questions walkers ask
Can you still visit Sycamore Gap?
Yes. The tree was felled by vandals in September 2023, but the gap, Castle Nick, with Milecastle 39 in the dip and the wall plunging in and climbing out, remains one of the finest sights on the trail. It is free and you walk straight through it.
Where is Sycamore Gap?
On the Whin Sill crags between Steel Rigg and Housesteads, close to Once Brewed and The Sill visitor centre. On a coast-to-coast walk it comes near the end of the crag day from Chollerford to Once Brewed.
Opening times and tickets change through the year, so check them with the operator before you go: National Trust: Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort.