Mossley became a Lancashire Borough in 1885. It comprised of areas that were originally Cheshire, Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Mossley was originally a hamlet of Ashton under Lyne but it expanded greatly during the Industrial Revolution. Wool production was its main industry and weaving rooms were incorporated into the weavers’ cottages.

After the invention of the power loom, woollen mills (and later, cotton mills) were constructed in the valley.