mers ▁raised ▁sheep ▁on ▁the ▁mo or lands ▁and ▁made ▁w ool len ▁cloth . ▁Initial ly ▁this ▁was ▁small - scale ▁and ▁local ▁but ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁cloth ▁workers ▁came ▁together ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁small ▁groups ▁of ▁houses . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁adv ances ▁in ▁technology ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁mill s ▁were ▁appearing ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁were ▁small , ▁water - power ed ▁buildings ; ▁and ▁Has ling den , ▁with ▁its ▁elev ated ▁situation , ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁natural ▁place ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁these ▁early ▁mill s . ▁Loc ally ▁they ▁were ▁situated ▁lower ▁down ▁in ▁the ▁river ▁valle ys , ▁such ▁as ▁at ▁nearby ▁Hel m sh ore . ▁ ▁The ▁long ▁association ▁with ▁w ool ▁meant ▁that ▁Has ling den ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁Ross end ale ▁towns ▁had ▁expert ise ▁with ▁the ▁processes ▁of ▁cloth ▁production , ▁and ▁so ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁switch ▁easily ▁to ▁cot ton ▁we aving . ▁Cot ton ▁was ▁better ▁su ited ▁than ▁w ool ▁to ▁industrial ised ▁spin ning ▁as ▁its ▁fib res ▁were ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁break ▁than ▁w ool . ▁Cot ton ▁cloth ▁manufact ure ▁quickly ▁became ▁a ▁highly ▁successful ▁industry , ▁and ▁its ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁landscape ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁its ▁work ▁force ▁was ▁enorm ous . ▁Cot ton ▁we aving ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁fact ories ▁was ▁largely ▁un reg ulated , ▁and ▁the ▁work force ▁kept ▁almost ▁at ▁star v ation ▁levels . ▁Hung