Volunteers and archaeologists hope to unearth one of Kent’s hidden secrets – an ancient uphill watercourse said to have been engineered by an Anglo-Saxon princess.

Princess Eanswythe, also known as Saint Eanswith, founded the Benedictine Folkestone Priory on the Bale in 630AD, believed to be the country’s first nunnery.

Legend has it the she diverted water up-stream two miles from what is now Morehall Recreation Ground towards her convent.

Still in use until the late 1800s, the engineering feat was a key reason for where Folkestone is situated today, experts say.

Now, members of the Finding Eanswythe heritage group and Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) will excavate part of the waterway’s route for remains.

Andrew Richardson, CAT archaeologist who is in charge of the dig said: “We know it existed, there are borough council minutes still in existence discussing the maintenance of the watercourse.

“There is also quite a lot of mention of ‘dipping’, where people took the water from the watercourse illegally.

“We just don’t know exactly how old it is.

“This is a dig quite close to my heart because I’m from Folkestone. The project is to find out whether there are physical remains and if so, how old are they.”

Rising water from a natural spring in Cherry Garden Hill flowed through the Shearway Business Park, near where it was redirected uphill towards the Bale.

The project will bring specialists and the community together to explore the “valuable national heritage,” said Annie Partridge from CAT.

She added the series of digs will take place from October 6-14 and the public are welcome to attend.

Eanswythe, daughter of Kent King Eadbald, was buried in Folkestone in the seventh century BC.

In 867 the Patron Saint’s nunnery, of which she was the Abbess, fell into the sea or was razed by Vikings, it is understood.

Later in 1138 the monastery was rebuilt with a church dedicated to St Mary and St Eanswythe on the site where the current church stands.

Cllr John Collier, Cabinet Member for the District Economy, said it looked set to be a fascinating project.

“There are many unanswered questions around St Eanswythe’s life and legacy and I am very much looking forward to seeing what is discovered during the excavations.

“Experts have already discovered hugely valuable relics but there is more to find out, and more we can learn from what could be buried on the site,” he said.