 As early as 1527 there are records of watermills on the river . In the 17th and 18th centuries , there were several watermills which ground corn and made paper , with 13 mills on the Yeo at the peak , declining to seven by 1791 and just three by 1915 . In the Victorian era it also became a centre for the production of clothing . The last mill , used as a shirt factory , closed in the early 1950s . William Wilberforce saw the poor conditions of the locals when he visited Cheddar in 1789 . He inspired Hannah More in her work to improve the conditions of the Mendip miners and agricultural workers . In 1801 , 4 @,@ 400 acres ( 18 km2 ) of common land were enclosed under the Inclosure Acts . 
