 By the 16th century , the priory was in decline , but its closure came as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries in England and Wales under Henry VIII . To help speed the process of closing the institution , Ralf Hartley was appointed as the prior of Wetheral by Henry 's minister , Thomas Cromwell ; royal commissioners visited in 1536 , and the priory was finally surrendered to the Crown in 1538 . The priory 's belongings were sold off or taken by Henry , depending on their value , but the lands were given to Carlisle Cathedral . Although the rest of the priory soon fell into disrepair , the gatehouse became the local vicarage ; it was still intact and in use by the minister in 1687 . 
