Locals are outraged after a 1,000 tree dating back to the Battle of Hastings was mysteriously torn down in a ‘suspected felling’- just days after the iconic Sycamore Gap was also cut down.

The 40ft yew tree stood proudly in a field just a mile away from Senlac Hill, where the Battle of Hastings took place in 1066.

It is still unclear what caused the tree to suddenly fall down, with some suggesting that strong winds could have uprooted it while others claiming it was done by an individual with malicious intent.

One local also suggested that the roots of the tree were showing rot, which would have made it unstable.

Stephen White, who lives near the area, said the tree was an important ‘ancient monument’ and bemoaned its loss.

Meanwhile Paul Lawrence, 51, told the Argus that he had a ‘personal connection’ to the tree and said he had spread his grandfather’s ashes there.

Rother District Council refused to comment on the matter as the tree was on private land.

The news comes just a week after the famous Sycamore Gap- near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland- was felled by vandals.

The sycamore had previously been one of the world’s most photographed trees before it was reduced to a stump, with investigators revealing that whoever felled it had also caused damage to Hadrian’s Wall.

Many trees of that age are protected by Tree Preservation Orders, which prohibit cutting down, felling or causing willful damage to specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands.

The yew tree was just a few miles away from the Crowhurst Yew, which stands in St George’s churchyard and is estimated to be around 1,300 years old.

Yew are one of the longest-lived native species in Europe and are steeped in folklore. The trees are typically associated with churches, and there are at least 500 churchyards in England which contain yew trees older than the buildings themselves.

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