The rare evidence of the Norman conquest of Cumbria is what archaeologists are hoping to find.
The site's initial excavation will involve a dig north of Lowther Castle, close to Penrith.
In an effort to find proof of its construction date, they will investigate the ruins of what appear to be a medieval castle and village.
The project lead, Dr. Sophie Thérèse Ambler, said, "The site is incredibly interesting, but we know very little about it.
The majority of England was conquered by the Normans in 1066, but they never reached Cumbria, which at the time was a sovereign kingdom.
The conquerors finally annexed the region in 1092 but even then their control of the area was sporadic.
The site may date to the late 11th or early 12th centuries, when the empire was growing, according to preliminary research.
If so, it would offer unique proof of the conquest of Cumbria by King William Rufus (William II) and his brother King Henry I.
"It's famous around the region as a wonderful day out with its spectacular ruins at the 19th Century castle but also in the ground are the remains of what look like a medieval castle and an attached village," Dr Ambler, of Lancaster University, told BBC Radio Cumbria.
"We are going to conduct a geophysical survey and open a couple of trenches. We hope to be able to find out the date of the site and the biography of the site over the generations.
"Given the paucity of written records for early and central medieval Cumbria, that is especially significant.
Cumbria is not included in the Domesday Book (the survey of England compiled by King William I) and few records have survived.
Dr Jim Morris, from the University of Central Lancashire, whose students will carry out the summer dig, said the site "may rewrite our understanding" of the Normans in Cumbria.
"There has never been an archaeological dig on this site before and there is very little archaeological knowledge of the early Norman period.
"We're excited about what we might discover. ".
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