Blue scrawls 'vandalising' centuries-old statue at National Trust may have been done by kids with crayons
26 April 2023, 00:16
Blue scribbles found on a two-centuries-old statue at a National Trust site may have been done by children who were given crayons at the conservation site, the charity has admitted.
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The organisation said it was "dismayed" earlier this month after the sculpture of Roman nymph Sabrina as well as a memorial for landscape architect and renowned gardener Lancelot "Capability" Brown at Croome Court in Worcestershire were defaced.
Blue scrawls were found all over the face, arms, and torso of the Sabrina statue on April 8, with the Brown memorial at the Neo-Palladian mansion was also defaced.
After being advised by conservators on how best to clean the statue, the Trust has since removed the marks although work on the Brown memorial at the Neo-Palladian mansion is ongoing.
A sign was placed in front saying the trust was "utterly shocked at the vandalism".
However, it appears it may have been caused by children using crayon packs handed out by the trust at the site.
A National Trust spokesperson told MailOnline: "Like lots of other heritage organisations, we regularly run events for families and we often issue pencils or crayons.
"We have been able to remove the crayon from the Sabrina statue and we are in the process of cleaning the Lancelot Capability Brown Memorial.
"Disappointing as they are, incidents like this are very rare considering the millions of visitors who enjoy and respect the places in our care."
The statue of Sabrina was carved from Coade stone by John Bacon, and was made at some point between the 1780s and 1802.
