Editing Richard Arkwright (section)

===Cromford Mill===
Arkwright and John Smalley of Preston set up a small horse-driven factory at [[Nottingham]]. To obtain capital for expansion, Arkwright formed a partnership with [[Jedediah Strutt]] and Samuel Need, wealthy [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|nonconformist]] hosiery manufacturers. In 1771, the partners built the world's first water-powered mill at [[Cromford Mill|Cromford]], which covered both carding and spinning operations and employed 200 people.

[[File:Arkright's Mill - Cromford 29-04-06.jpg|thumb|Arkwright's mill at Cromford]]
In 1776 Arkwright built a second, larger mill at Cromford and, soon afterwards, mills at [[Bakewell]], [[Wirksworth]] and elsewhere (see [[#Factories and the factory system|below]]). His success as a businessman and innovator was widely recognized in his own time. The spinning frame was a large advance over [[James Hargreaves|Hargreaves]]'s [[spinning jenny]], in that very little training was required to operate the machinery, which produced a strong yarn suitable for [[Warp (weaving)|warp]] threads.