, ▁promoted ▁themselves ▁as ▁pil gr image ▁destin ations , ▁maxim ising ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁historic ▁m ira cles ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁sites . ▁Acc um ulating ▁re lic s ▁became ▁an ▁important ▁task ▁for ▁am bit ious ▁institutions , ▁as ▁these ▁were ▁believed ▁to ▁hold ▁cur ative ▁powers ▁and ▁l ent ▁status ▁to ▁the ▁site . ▁By ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century ▁reports ▁of ▁post hum ous ▁m ira cles ▁by ▁local ▁sain ts ▁were ▁becoming ▁increasing ly ▁common ▁in ▁England , ▁adding ▁to ▁the ▁attract iveness ▁of ▁pil gr images ▁to ▁prominent ▁re lic s . ▁ ▁Cr us ades ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁undert aking ▁a ▁pil gr image ▁to ▁Jerusalem ▁was ▁not ▁new ▁in ▁England , ▁as ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁religious ly ▁just ified ▁war fare ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁times . ▁While ▁English ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁First ▁Cr us ade ▁between ▁ 1 0 9 5 – 9 9 ▁was ▁limited , ▁England ▁played ▁a ▁prominent ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁Second , ▁Third ▁and ▁Fif th ▁Cr us ades ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁centuries , ▁with ▁many ▁cr us aders ▁leaving ▁for ▁the ▁Lev ant ▁during ▁the ▁interven ing ▁years . ▁Many ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁took ▁up ▁the ▁Cross ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁a ▁Cr us ade ▁never ▁actually ▁left , ▁often ▁because ▁the ▁individual ▁lack ed ▁sufficient ▁funds ▁to ▁undert ake ▁the ▁journey . ▁R ais ing ▁funds ▁to ▁travel ▁typically ▁involved ▁cr us aders ▁s elling ▁or ▁mort g aging ▁their ▁lands ▁and