This was one of those happy accidents of economic evolution; the sheep farmers would take their flocks to the water and this resulted in there being more sheep than any insomniac could count in the area, which meant lots and lots of wool. The story is detailed in various museums.

It boasts a vast array of small firms, each specialising in one part of the process spinning, warping, weaving, dyeing, finishing, printing, or designing and together they form one vast workshop making the area uniquely versatile, diverse and nimble and has meant it has survived and thrived as a centre of European textiles in the face of increasing international competition. Using the water to power its mills as well as using its qualities to enhance the natural aspects of wools, now from all over the world and not just the local hillsides, the region has been innovative in its production and particularly in the sustainability aspects, which it has championed for years, indeed, way before it became fashionable to do so.