Woollen cloth had been woven in the area for hundreds of years before Queen Victoria came to the throne. The hardy Welsh sheep on the upland pastures provided the fleeces to make hardwearing flannel, and Montgomeryshire's streams provided the soft water for washing the fleeces and powering some of the machinery.
The development of cloth weaving into an industry happened over the period 1790 to 1840. Although there was something of a decline after that, flannel was still very important to local people throughout Victoria's reign.

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