Vandals have sparked outrage after spraying graffiti on historic rock houses at Kinver Edge near Stourbridge, West Midlands.
The damage was inflicted on the isolated ruins at Nanny's Rock and Vale's Rock area of the National Trust heritage site.
Footage of the vandalism was posted on Facebook, attracting scores of views and comments from dismayed local residents.
The incident has left community members "heartbroken" over damage to these beloved historic structures.
Footage of the vandalism was posted online
Facebook/Kinver Past and Present: UncensoredKinver Councillor Victoria Wilson condemned the act, comparing it to defacing one of Britain's most iconic monuments.
Wilson said: "It's as bad as spraying graffiti on Stonehenge. The rock houses are historic sites and are dearly loved by the people of Kinver and the surrounding communities.
"It's sacrilege. The ward representative, who has retained her Staffordshire Country Council seat following this week's local elections, also called on the community to support National Trust efforts to clean the walls at the secluded site which is also unsafe due to the risk of falling rocks.
"This is a really dreadful thing to do, and it would be great if the local community could get behind the National Trust to see if it can be cleaned up."
National Trust visitor operations and experience manager Claire Hale said: "The Rock Houses on Kinver Edge are treasured by all who visit and live nearby, and we are dismayed to see the kind of activity that's happened here."
Hale noted that conservation work and archaeological surveys were recently carried out at the site to understand it better.
While the National Trust acknowledged such incidents are rare, they have reported the vandalism to local police.
The Trust urges anyone witnessing similar activity to also report it to police.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
'We are dismayed to see the kind of activity that's happened here'
Facebook/Kinver Past and Present: Uncensored
As a charity that relies on fundraising and donations, the Trust maintains and restores heritage assets in its care.
The rock houses were carved from the soft red sandstone characterising Kinver Edge.
The most famous dwellings are at Holy Austin Rock, which has been restored and opened to visitors.
They feature stoves, furniture, windows, and doors set into the sandstone, just as they were when inhabited.
Nanny's Rock and Vale's Rock, where the vandalism occurred, have not yet been restored.
The earliest record of people living in these unique rock dwellings dates back to 1777, when Joseph Heely took refuge from a storm.
