 In the 15th century the weaving of fine <unk> and later <unk> was introduced to the area by weavers from the continent . This was largely a cottage industry and merchants would have premises where the fleeces would be combed and sorted . John Lane was one of the best known local cloth merchants ( see Lane 's Aisle in the section on St Andrew 's church below ) . In the seventeenth century , Higher and Lower King 's Mills were fulling mills for the local industry . In 1816 Mr Upcott employed 60 weavers and ' many spinners ' . The Wellington based firm Fox Brothers had a branch factory built in 1890 and made high quality woolen and worsted cloth until 1977 . During World War I , their entire output was of khaki cloth , employing over 200 people . In 1910 Mrs Gidley , wife of Dr Gustavus Gidley , set up a hand @-@ weaving enterprise in the stables of Heyford House with the aim of giving employment to ex @-@ servicemen and disabled people . To manage it she appointed two women , one a granddaughter of Bishop Phillpotts . Later the business evolved into machine knitted garments . 
