National Trust restores 230-year-old statue defaced with blue crayon

The National Trust has successfully removed crayon marks from a 230-year-old statue at Croome Court in Worcestershire.  

The statue of the Roman water nymph Sabrina, which rests in a grotto at the neo-Palladian mansion, was found defaced with blue crayon on Easter Sunday. A memorial to the landscape architect Lancelot "Capability" Brown was also vandalised.

“We were dismayed that this happened and the team at Croome was understandably upset at the discovery,” said a National Trust spokesperson.

While the bright blue markings scrawled across the statue’s face and body have been removed with a mild detergent, work to clean the Capability Brown memorial is ongoing.

“The incident has required the time and consultation of conservators as well as of the garden and outdoor manager who cleaned the statue and memorial,” said the spokesperson.

“Fortunately, the property was able to remove the crayon from the statue without the help of external cleaners or expensive specialist materials.”

Trials will be carried out on the best methods to restore the Brown memorial, added the spokesperson, who said the National Trust’s collections are rarely vandalised “considering the millions of visitors who enjoy and respect the places in our care”.  

The statue of the Roman naiade, or water nymph, was carved by the sculptor John Bacon, likely in 1802, from a ceramic called Coade stone. It sits in landscaped gardens designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown in 1751, who also remodelled the Croome Court into its current Palladian style.

The estate was acquired by the National Trust in 1996 and has been open to the public since.