An exciting new project to investigate the remains of a medieval castle and village at Lowther in Cumbria is set to begin on Monday.

Funded by the Castle Studies Trust, the project aims to uncover the secrets of how the Normans colonised the area and what life was like for inhabitants, as well as charting the origins of the Lowther estate.

The site, which is believed to date back to the late eleventh or early twelfth century, could provide rare evidence of how King William Rufus and his brother, King Henry I, conquered Cumbria, a generation after seizing control of the rest of England.

Led by Dr Sophie Thérèse Ambler, a reader in medieval history and Deputy Director of the Centre for War and Diplomacy at Lancaster University, the archaeological investigation will be run by Allen Archaeology and will involve archaeology students and staff from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

Dr Ambler said: “We’re very excited to start the project at Lowther. 

"There’s little written evidence for Cumbria in the early and central Middle Ages: since this region wasn’t part of William the Conqueror’s kingdom it isn’t included in Domesday Book, and few records have otherwise survived.

“Archaeology offers a fantastic opportunity to uncover this chapter in Cumbria’s past – and bring to light important new evidence for castle building and its role in conquest and colonisation across Britain.”

The first stage will be a geophysical survey, followed by the opening of trenches across the castle and village.

The digging will last three weeks, culminating in a month-long investigation until July 21, 2023.

Cumbria was not conquered by the Normans in 1066, and was historically part of the Kingdom of Cumbria.

Cumbria was only annexed by the Normans in 1092 when William Rufus led an expedition to the area, and the investigation is expected to shed new light on this little-documented period.

Visitors to Lowther Castle and Gardens will be able to view the excavations, and the findings will be used to share the story of the estate’s medieval past.

The Castle Studies Trust has awarded individual grants of up to £10,000 to further the investigation.