Trowbridge has been a market town for a long time. The Kennet and Avon Canal has been a very important part of the town's growth because it allowed coal to be moved from the Somerset Coalfield. This began steam-powered wool production in mills, which the town is famous for. The town was a very important producer of clothes and blankets in the south west of England. Because of this, in the late 18th century and early 19th century, it had the nickname of "The Manchester of the West".