The abbey experienced the transition to Norman rule without difficulty and in the 11th century, it underwent a period of rebuilding. In the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda the monastery was badly damaged and impoverished. Geoffrey de Mandeville expelled the monks in 1143 and used the buildings as a fortress. However, in the 13th and 14th centuries the house had a succession of wealthy abbots who undertook a series of costly building programmes. The Black Death brought prosperity to a temporary halt, and by the end of the 14th century, the house was financially decayed. The abbey recovered and continued to thrive until its dissolution in 1537.