THE first of five archaeology training sessions is being held at Gleaston Castle today. 

This offers a rare opportunity to “see beneath the soil” using the latest survey techniques. 

Places at the free sessions every day to Friday have all been fully booked up and are being led by professional archaeologists based at University of Central Lancashire University Archaeology Department. 

This survey work follows on from an initial photographic survey undertaken last year as part of a project funded by the Castle Studies Trust. 

Work on the site to provide a virtual view of the castle was described by Dan Elsworth of Ulverston-based Greenlane Archaeology and Adam Stanford of Aerial Cam at a conference at the Platform, Morecambe, hosted by the Morecambe Bay Partnership. 

The owners of the castle site and Historic England have granted special permission for the community training sessions. 

The castle site is currently not accessible to members of the public given its ruinous and unstable condition. 

Training sessions have been arranged by the Morecambe Bay Partnersip as part of its Heritage Lottery Funded Headlands to Headspace programme. 

Participants in Recording the Bay: Geophysical Survey Training will have an opportunity to learn the science behind a variety of geophysical survey techniques and their application to archaeology.

They will 'have a go' at collecting data using magnetometery, resistivity and ground penetrating radar. 

There will also be the opportunity to explore how to record standing buildings with laser scanning. 

Gleaston Castle was probably built in the 14th century for the Harrington family, although the first written reference to it is not until 1550. 

It later went to the Cavendish family and was sold with a farm around 1922.

Gleaston Castle has been a ruin since the 16th century.