Yobs have trashed part of a beloved South Tyneside attraction.
Staff at Jarrow Hall are "sad and angry" after discovering a reconstructed Anglo-Saxon home had been damaged.
Pictures posted on Facebook show debris strewn across the ground, with wooden furniture seemingly smashed.
A police investigation is under way, while CCTV is being reviewed.
The venue, which is trying to crowdfund £5,000 to repair the damage, has warned it will look to punish the culprits.
In a Facebook post shared almost 500 times, Jarrow Hall confirmed trespassers had caused "considerable damage" in the incident, which is thought to have happened on Tuesday night.
"Our team has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that Jarrow Hall can once again welcome visitors safely when we reopen our doors, but a few individuals have made this task even more difficult for us," added the venue.
"We would like to appeal to anyone who lives locally to keep an eye on the site for us and report any suspicious behaviour to the police.
"We have reported the incident to Northumbria Police, and we will be reviewing our CCTV footage. If the culprits are identified we will press charges."
Set across 11 acres of an "historic and environmental oasis", Jarrow Hall features a museum dedicated to the life of Bede, alongside the Anglo-Saxon dwellings and a farm.
And supporters of the popular attraction were sickened by the damage. Some even offered to volunteer to help repair it.
One person wrote on Facebook: "What on earth do these scumbags even get out of doing this?"
The venue has not yet responded to a request for comment. However, a GoFundMe page has now been set up to help raise the funds needed to repair the damage.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson added: “Yesterday [Wednesday] we received a report of criminal damage to a building at Jarrow Hall, South Tyneside.
“It was reported that offenders had entered the site overnight and caused considerable damage to a reconstruction building at the premises.
“An investigation has been launched into the incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact us via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website quoting log 327 270520.”
