 The Norman invasion of Wales opened the church in Wales to fresh, invigorating streams of continental reform, as well as to the new monastic orders.The Benedictine houses were established in the Normanised fringes and in the shadow of Norman castles, but because they were seen as instruments of conquest, they failed to make any real impression on the local Welsh population.The Cistercians, in contrast, sought out solitude in the mountains and moorlands, and were highly successful.