It was carpet manufacture that established Kidderminster as a significant economic centre from the early 18th Century. This first of the important carpet manufacturers was  John Pearsall, credited with starting the industry in Kidderminster in 1735.

 

Around 1749 Pearsall went into partnership with John Broom in a carpet hall on Mount Skipet, the hill between Park Street and Park Lane.. Broom is the second vital pioneer of the town’s staple industry. Legends abound regarding Broom. He is reputed to have travelled on the continent and brought back the techniques of Brussels weaving. Broom built a house (Blakebrook Cottage later known as The Cedars) at Blakebrook, which now forms part of Kemp Hospice on Mason Road.