Movement Around The UK

Having apparently originated in Grinton in Swaledale, the Closes then proceeded to move out into various areas of the country. This seems to be primarily as a result of:

• the declining profitability of the lead mines in the area
• increasing populations and limited land for farming

They still generally seemed to retain their professions of farmer and miner, sometimes combining the two. But as the new industries sprang up as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution we also find ship builders and mill workers starting to appear.

Here we have an animated map showing where they moved to.