ans ▁spread ▁quickly ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century ▁on wards , ▁while ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁century ▁the ▁C ister ci ans ▁reached ▁England , ▁creating ▁houses ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁aust ere ▁interpretation ▁of ▁the ▁mon astic ▁rules ▁and ▁building ▁the ▁great ▁ab be ys ▁of ▁R ie va ul x ▁and ▁F ount ains . ▁By ▁ 1 2 1 5 , ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 6 0 0 ▁mon astic ▁communities ▁in ▁England , ▁but ▁new ▁end ow ments ▁slow ed ▁during ▁the ▁th ir teenth ▁century , ▁creating ▁long - term ▁financial ▁problems ▁for ▁many ▁institutions . ▁The ▁religious ▁military ▁orders ▁that ▁became ▁popular ▁across ▁Europe ▁from ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century ▁on wards , ▁including ▁the ▁Tem pl ars , ▁Te ut onic ▁Kn ights ▁and ▁H osp it all ers , ▁acquired ▁poss essions ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁Church ▁and ▁state ▁ ▁William ▁the ▁Con quer or ▁acquired ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁for ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁England ▁by ▁prom ising ▁ecc les iast ical ▁reform . ▁William ▁promoted ▁cel ib acy ▁amongst ▁the ▁cler gy ▁and ▁gave ▁ecc les iast ical ▁courts ▁more ▁power , ▁but ▁also ▁reduced ▁the ▁Church ' s ▁direct ▁links ▁to ▁Rome ▁and ▁made ▁it ▁more ▁account able ▁to ▁the ▁king . ▁T ensions ▁arose ▁between ▁these ▁practices ▁and ▁the ▁reform ing ▁movement ▁of ▁Pope ▁Gregory ▁VII , ▁which ▁advoc ated ▁greater ▁aut onomy ▁from ▁royal ▁authority ▁for ▁the ▁cler gy , ▁condem ned ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁sim ony ▁and