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WETHERAL PRIORY

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

WETHERAL PRIORY GATEHOUSE, PRIORY OF HOLY TRINITY ST MARY AND ST CONSTANTINE, PRIORY OF ST CONSTANTINE

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The gatehouse and a length of medieval wall at Wetheral Priory are the only surviving remains of this Benedictine monastery. It was founded in circa 1106-12, when Ranulf Meschin, first Norman lord of Cumberland, gave the manor of Wetheral to the abbot of St Mary's, York. The priory was dedicated to Holy Trinity and St Constantine and housed twelve monks. It was also an important place of sanctuary in the Border region. In 1342 Edward III offered a pardon to those claiming sanctuary here on condition that they fought for him against the Scots. In 1538 it was dissolved by Henry VIII, and subsequently all the buildings, with the exception of the gatehouse, were demolished. The gatehouse was used as vicarage in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, before becoming a hayloft. It passed into state guardianship in 1978. Built from red sandstone in the 14th century, the gatehouse is three storeys high and two bays wide. The remaining section of wall, thought to be part of the eastern wall of the Chapter House, has an original two light window and indications of a stairway. The destroyed church and monastic buildings lay to the east of the gatehouse. The gatehouse was the original entrance to the priory precinct and traces of rooflines can be seen on two sides, indicating that it was originally part of a range of other buildings including a chapel and monastic school. Through the gatehouse is the main entrance passage, with a small lodge for the porter alongside. A circular stair leads to domestic chambers on the first and second floors. Each floor consists of a hall with a garderobe (latrine) and fireplace, and may have been used by priory officials or as guest lodgings for important visitors and travellers. The floor of the upper chamber does not survive. Tree-ring analysis has shown the gatehouse roof to be constructed primarily from timbers felled in AD 1512-36. However, there is a possibility that at least one timber of the late 15th century has been incorporated.

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(NY 46855415) Remains of (NAT) Wetheral Priory (NR) (Benedictine Founded AD 1106) (NAT) (1)

Wetheral Priory, Benedictine, was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and St Constantine, and founded C1106-12 as a cell of the Abbey of St Mary, York for twelve monks. The priory was surrendered in 1538 and demolished with the exception of the late (Perpendicular) gatehouse (at NY 46815412) which still stands, in excellent condition.
The destroyed church and monastic buildings lay to the east of the gatehouse. On the extreme east of the farm buildings 250 feet from the gatehouse a wall remains 75ft long with an original two light window and indications of a stairway; this may be part of the eastern wall of the Chapter House. (2-4)

The gatehouse is in good condition, (see GP for western aspect,) also the wall, previously described, which extends from NY 46885419 to NY 46895417. There are no other visible remains. (5)

(NY 468541) Wetheral Abbey (NR) (Benedictine. Founded AD 1106) (NAT) (NY 46815412) Gatehouse (NR) (Remains of) (NAT) (6)

Walls of east range of Wetheral Priory, east of Gatehouse.

Part of Wall. C14, for Benedictine Priory of Wetheral. Dressed red sandstone wall with moulded dressings. Probably originally 2 storeys but now only stands to the top of the ground floor windows; 25 metres long. Chamfered plinth course, with a probably ruined staircase at the south end. 2 lancet windows with square heads: one mullioned window of 2 lights with trefoil cusped heads. Windows and stonework match gatehouse and probably represent a total rebuilding of the Priory. No other part of the Priory stands above ground. It has been suggested that this could have been the east wall of the Chapter House: see, J.H. Martindale, The Priory of Wetheral, Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland, Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, vol. xxii, p.250. 14.189 Wetheral Priory.

Gatehouse I

Gatehouse tower. C14, for Benedictine Priory of Wetheral. Dressed red sandstone walls with moulded dressings and stone-slate replacement roof. 3 storeys, 2 bays. Chamfered plinth course and moulded string-course to each storey, with battlemented parapet. Large round-headed moulded entrance arch with barrel-vaulted passage. Mullioned windows of 2 lights with chamfered dressings, hood moulds and trefoil cusped heads above entrance: windows in other elevations are similar, but of one light. Label moulds to sides show single storey roof line of original adjoining buildings now demolished. Internal spiral staircase gives access to floors and roof. Priory was founded c1100, but the gatehouse represents a later rebuilding, probably after the destruction of the buildings following successive border raids. Scheduled A.M. See, J.H. Martindale, The Priory of Wetheral, Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland, Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, vol xxii, p.239-251. (7-8)

NY 468054211 Wetheral Priory gatehouse and a length of medieval wall; Scheduled (RSM) 23653. (9)

A short piece on the history of the Priory. (10)

Fourteen core samples were taken from roof timbers at this building for tree-ring dating. Of these three were found to be unsuitable for tree-ring dating. Analysis of the remaining 11 samples resulted in the construction of a single dated site sequence and one individually dated sample. Site sequence WPGASQ04 contains five samples and spans the period AD 1410-1511. Interpretation of the heartwood/sapwood boundary ring dates of these samples suggests a contemporary felling in AD 1512-36 for the five timbers represented. Sample WPG-A10 was dated individually to the period AD 1386-1449. Without the heartwood/sapwood boundary ring an estimated felling date cannot be calculated for this sample except to say that this would be AD 1465 at the earliest. A further site sequence, WPGASQ03, containing two samples is undated. Tree-ring analysis has shown this roof to be constructed primarily from timbers felled in AD 1512-36. However, there is an unconfirmed possibility that at least one timber of the late-fifteenth century has been incorporated into this roof. (11)

A brief history and description. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1957

( 2) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

(J H Martindale) 22 (1922) Page(s)239-51

( 3) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)80

(4) by J Charles Cox 1913 County churches : Cumberland and Westmorland

Page(s)131-2

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

R W Emsley/05-APR-1966/Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 6) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:2500 1968

( 7) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

City of Carlisle, 22-SEP-1983 33 Page(s)58-59

( 8) by Nikolaus Pevsner 1967 Cumberland and Westmorland

The Buildings of England Page(s)201-2

( 9) Scheduled Monument Notification

31-JAN-1994

(10) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

'Wetheral Priory NY 468542', article by D Sherlock in 'Cumbria: report and proceedings of the 144th Summer meeting of the Royal Archaeological Institute, 1998' 155, 1999 Page(s)358-9

(11) Centre for Archaeology Report series

'Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Wetheral Priory Gatehouse, Wetheral, Cumbria', by Arnold, A J, Howard, R E & Litton, C D 36/2004

(12) English Heritage 2002 Heritage Unlocked: Guide to free sites in the North West

Page(s)48-49

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