▁feed ▁the ▁growing ▁population ▁and ▁to ▁produce ▁w ool ▁for ▁export ▁to ▁Europe . ▁Many ▁hundreds ▁of ▁new ▁towns , ▁some ▁of ▁them ▁planned ▁communities , ▁were ▁built ▁across ▁England , ▁supporting ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁gu ild s , ▁char ter ▁fair s ▁and ▁other ▁medieval ▁institutions ▁which ▁govern ed ▁the ▁growing ▁trade . ▁Jewish ▁financi ers ▁played ▁a ▁significant ▁role ▁in ▁fund ing ▁the ▁growing ▁economy , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁C ister cian ▁and ▁August in ian ▁religious ▁orders ▁that ▁emer ged ▁as ▁major ▁players ▁in ▁the ▁w ool ▁trade ▁of ▁the ▁north . ▁M ining ▁increased ▁in ▁England , ▁with ▁a ▁silver ▁bo om ▁in ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century ▁helping ▁to ▁fuel ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁money ▁supply . ▁ ▁War fare ▁ ▁Ang lo - N orm an ▁war fare ▁was ▁character ised ▁by ▁attr itional ▁military ▁campaign s , ▁in ▁which ▁command ers ▁tried ▁to ▁ra id ▁enemy ▁lands ▁and ▁se ize ▁cast les ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁take ▁control ▁of ▁their ▁advers aries ' ▁territory , ▁ultimately ▁winning ▁slow ▁but ▁strateg ic ▁vict ories . ▁P itch ed ▁batt les ▁were ▁occasionally ▁fought ▁between ▁arm ies ▁but ▁these ▁were ▁considered ▁ris ky ▁engag ements ▁and ▁usually ▁avoided ▁by ▁pr udent ▁command ers . ▁The ▁arm ies ▁of ▁the ▁period ▁compr ised ▁bodies ▁of ▁mounted , ▁arm oured ▁kn ights , ▁supported ▁by ▁inf antry . ▁Cross bow men ▁become ▁more ▁numerous ▁in ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century , ▁alongside ▁the ▁older ▁short bow .