Carluke blue brick artworks smashed with a hammer

One of the artworks dotted around Carluke.

Someone has attacked a number of the distinctive little stacks of blue-glazed bricks with a hammer.

The ceramic brick piles were installed as wayfinding markers at key points around Carluke last month, along the Make Your Way trails, providing small snippets of information about the town’s brick making history.

Make Your Way was an arts and heritage project aimed at encouraging more walking and cycling, funded by Smarter Choices, Smarter Places grant, and LEADER and the Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership, and delivered by icecream architecture.

“Unfortunately, a number of these have already been damaged,” said Sarah O’Sullivan of CAVLP.

“It looks like someone has been out with a hammer, smashing them up.

“It is a terrible shame.”

It was especially distressing as there had been such a large amount of community engagement in the creation of the artworks as a reminder of the town’s history.

And Kirsten Robb, CAVLP Development Officer said, “There is a great buzz of activity and intrigue about these curious markers of Carluke’s amazing brick production history.

“The large positive response to the bricks has been fantastic, with the trails linking schools, the health centre and the Lifestyles across Carluke as well as many other places, and people are finding out more about their local heritage.”

She continues, “Sadly there has also been some recent vandalism of the bricks at particular sites.

“The Make Your Way team, and the Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership feel privileged to have worked on this project with local schools and the Carluke Parish Historical Society, to produce a wayfinding trail that is for the benefit and pride of Carluke.

“The remaining capacity to repair any seriously damaged bricks is limited; therefore we would encourage all to take an interest and take care over these artwork trails which commemorate this crucial and impressive part of the town’s history.”

Police have been made aware of the damage, and CAVLP appeals to anyone with any information about the vandalism to contact the non-emergency police line on 101.