WORK has begun to hopefully unearth evidence of the Norman conquest in Cumbria on the sites of Lowther Castle in Penrith.
Small trenches are being dug by UCLan students and staff with hopes of shedding light on 'lumps and bumps' - believed to be a medieval castle and village just north of the 19th-century castle.
The first phase of the month-long dig has begun (June 26) with a geophysical survey of the land.
The project will run until July 21.
Project lead Dr Sophie Thérèse Ambler said it's 'very exciting' to finally get the project underway.
"The UCLan staff and students have opened up a couple of small trenches across the medieval castle earthworks to see what they can find.
"That's just the start, we've still got more excavation to go.
"We've got to open up trenches at the village, it's still very early days," she said.
The lack of historical documentation has left gaps in understanding this crucial period of Cumbria's history.
However, the dig hopes to unearth archaeological evidence that could provide much-needed insight into the events that unfolded during the conquest of the region.
"Whatever we find, it's going to be fantastic evidence.
"We have so little archaeological data and hardly any written evidence for Cumbria in the twelfth century. Whatever we find will be important.
Launching today #LowtherMedievalCastle & village project @CastleStudies @CWDlancaster! The fabulous team @lowthercastle have mowed ready for geophysical survey of the medieval village. Students @UCLanArchAnth training in geophysics under guidance of Rob @allenarchaeo 1/4 pic.twitter.com/ILRQr46D3Q
— SophieThérèse Ambler (@RG1253) June 26, 2023
"We are hoping our hypotheses about an early Norman castle will be correct but we'll see," she said.
Preliminary work suggests that the remains of Lowther’s medieval castle and its adjoining village may date to the late eleventh or early twelfth century.
Dr Ambler said people are 'very welcome' to come and visit the dig site in the north park of Lowther, not far from the public footpath.
"If people want to come visit, have a chat with some of the student archaeologists, you'll be very more than welcome," she said.
You can follow the journey and dig diary on Twitter using the #LowtherMedievalCastle hashtag.
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