The Cistercian monks that occupied Dore Abbey were known as the 'white monks' due to their habits of undyed wool. The daily work was hard yet, in time, lay-brothers joined the Abbey to help in the work. At Dore the monks concentrated on sheep with the Abbey owning large areas of land in Mid-Wales and the borders. In the late 13th Century, the wool from Dore, and nearby Tintern Abbey, was of the best quality and the highest price, being sold as far away as Italy. The wealth brought in to the Abbey from this commerce aided its expansion and further building.