Fulling Watermill (Woolen Textiles)

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1150Flanders and the Rhine river basin · FlandersWoolen workshops began using waterwheels to drive wooden hammers beating soaked woolen cloth, replacing manual treading and hand-beating; fulling and felting were combined, improving the quality and output of broadcloth and laying the foundation for urban export trade.
2. 1200–1500English wool belt · Northern EnglandFulling mills crowded along streams, and guilds strictly regulated fulling duration and water quality; England became a supplier of raw wool, and the fulling watermill was the key link in converting raw material into exportable worsted cloth.
3. 1700–1800English industrial towns · Northwest EnglandSteam power and centralized textile mills incorporated fulling into continuous production lines, and independent rural fulling watermills gradually declined; some surviving buildings became industrial archaeological heritage.