Carrington Moss
Carrington Moss | ||
---|---|---|
Metropolitan county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Police | Greater Manchester | |
Fire | Greater Manchester | |
Ambulance | North West | |
Carrington Moss is a large area of peat bog near Carrington, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey, 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Manchester. It occupies an area of about 1,100 acres (450 ha). The depth of peat varies between 17 and 20 feet (5.2 and 6.1 m).
Originally an unused area of grouse
The land is still used for farming and several
History
A History of Flixton, Urmston, and Davyhulme (1898) claims that the name Carrington might be derived from the Goidelic Celtic root Cathair, a fortress,[1] but a more recent theory is that it derives from an Anglicised form of a Scandinavian personal name.[2] A Carrington Hall, seat of the Carrington family (descended from William de Caryngton) once existed to the north of Carrington Moss, at the junction formed by the modern-day A6144 and B5158 roads.[1] The word moss, first used during the 15th century,[3] forms part of the local name for a lowland peat bog, "mosslands".[4] Today the term is also used to describe former bogs that have been converted to farmland.[5]
19th century
Manchester's population increased by more than 150% between 1831 and 1851. This placed considerable pressure on the city's ability to dispose of refuse, exacerbated during the 1870s by a gradual switch from the older cesspit methods of sewage disposal to pail closets. These needed to be emptied regularly and by the 1880s, night soil accounted for about 75% of Manchester's 200,000 long tons (200,000 t; 220,000 short tons) of refuse.[6]
Along with parts of
The purchase was part of the corporation's ultimately unsuccessful plan to retain the
The bog's virgin moss was cultivated[18] and drainage channels cut through at regular intervals, the first step in the area's reclamation. This drainage caused the characteristically convex Moss to sag noticeably; some residents of Dunham Town commented that they could see parts of Carrington previously obscured by the moss.[19] A network of tramways and roads was constructed using clinker and other materials brought from the city.[20] Drains were laid and the land cleared of scrub. A water supply was also installed. Some of the more dangerous buildings were demolished, while others were either repaired or replaced.[21]
Refuse was loaded from a number of locations and was first transported along the
Once delivered, refuse was normally placed in heaps and allowed to dry before being put into the ground.
By the 1890s, over 70,000 long tons of excrement annually were being disposed of on the moss.[17] The land was a useful source of income for Manchester;[29] for the year ending 31 March 1900 the estate made a profit of £777 5s 2d (by comparison, the larger Chat Moss made £2,591 13s 4d).[30] Its success helped persuade Manchester Corporation to purchase 2,583 acres[11] of nearby Chat Moss in 1895.[31][32] By 1897, 37,082 long tons of nightsoil, 587 long tons of sweepings and litter and 11,673 long tons of cinders were being sent to Carrington.[18] Various crops were grown on the land, including wheat, oats, potatoes and carrots. A variety of ornamental shrubs, including rhododendrons, were grown in a nursery and used in the parks and gardens of Manchester.[33]
20th century
By the 1930s, extensive use of the water closet meant that the amount of night soil being delivered to Carrington Moss had dropped significantly. During this period, the majority of refuse placed on the Moss came from ash bins,[24] although some was from slaughterhouses and lairage facilities.[34] In 1923, manure of only moderate value was being delivered, supplemented by sulphate of potash, sulphate of ammonia, and super-phosphates.[35] Altrincham Sewage Farm (visible on the above map) was used to flood the surrounding fields with sewage water. To the west, a series of disused marl-pits formed Timperley Sewage Beds, a further source of manure.[36]
Carrington Wharf had fallen out of use by 1934 and with the advent of the
In 1948, the estate was valued at £82,615. In the year ending March 1971, it produced an income of £20,268. By that time the entire Moss had been fully reclaimed; 872.785 acres (3.53204 km2) of cultivated land, 39.012 acres (157,880 m2) of roads and plantations, and 30.140 acres (121,970 m2) of 'industrial area' were available for use. The principal land uses were dairy, arable farming, and glasshouse culture.[39] No refuse was delivered for the year ending March 1971, and the Moss had by that time taken a total of 1,305,822 tons of refuse.[34]
Industrialisation of the moss took place from 1947–1952 when Petro-Carbon ltd began to build what would later become known as the Shell Site.
Geography and ecology
At 53°25′14″N 2°23′16″W / 53.42056°N 2.38778°W (53.42056, 2.38778), 65.6 feet (20.0 m) above sea level,[52] Carrington Moss lies along the southern edge of the Lancashire Plain, an area of Bunter sandstones overlaid with marls laid down during the Late Triassic period.[53] These rocks are themselves overlaid by a layer of boulder clay deposited during the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. The combination of the flat topography and the underlying clay resulted in extensive peat bogs developing along the Mersey Valley, and overflowing beyond the valley.[53] Along with large parts of Chat Moss and Holcroft Moss, Carrington Moss began to form during the Flandrian period from 7100 to 5000 BP.[54]
Flora and fauna
Carrington Moss is a lowland raised bog. The area drains slowly, which slows the decomposition of plant life and leads to the accumulation of peat. Over thousands of years this raises the level of peat and forms a gently sloping dome (hence, raised). Such areas support a wide range of flora and fauna;[5] Sphagnum balticum, a medium-sized bog moss, was recorded on Carrington Moss in the 1880s, although locally it is now presumed to be extinct.[55] Bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum), white beak-sedge (Rhynchospora alba), cranberries, bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia), and the cotton sedge have also been recorded.[56] In 1923 species of trees recorded by E. Price Evans for the Journal of Ecology included English oak (Quercus robur), and common ash (Fraxinus excelsior). Undergrowth included common hazel (Corylus avellana), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), and European holly (Ilex aquifolium). Several species of ground vegetation included creeping soft grass (Holcus mollis), common bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis), iris (Iris pseudacorus), mad-dog weed (Alisma plantago-aquatica), and cat-o'-nine-tails (Typha latifolia).[57]
References
Notes
- ^ a b Lawson 2009, p. 137
- ^ Nigham 1994, p. 164
- ^ moss, Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, 1989, archived from the original on 25 June 2006, retrieved 6 May 2009
- ^ Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document (PDF), Salford City Council, p. 7, archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2009, retrieved 21 December 2007
- ^ a b Mosslands, salford.gov.uk, 25 November 2008, archived from the original on 28 September 2008, retrieved 6 May 2009
- ^ Nicholls 1985, p. 15
- ^ Greater Manchester Gazetteer, Greater Manchester County Record Office, archived from the original on 18 July 2011, retrieved 9 July 2007
- ^ Cleansing Committee 1971, p. 2
- ^ Evans 1923, p. 64
- ^ Poore 1902, p. 117
- ^ a b c "Reclamation Of Bog Land Difficulties Of Elevation, The Lancashire Mosses" (Registration required), The Times, p. 15, 17 April 1933, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ Holt Town was an area to the east of Manchester, along the River Medlock. The "sanitary works" are visible on late 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps, along Upper Helena Street
- ^ Platt 2005, pp. 397–400
- ^ Varying figures are to be found for the purchase price – the Cleansing Committee 1971 visit booklet states £39,165 but no figure is given for the total cost, therefore only approximate figures from The Times newspaper are included in this article.
- ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ Cleansing Committee 1971, p. 6
- ^ a b Wohl 1984, p. 110
- ^ a b Poore 1902, pp. 116–117
- ^ Evans 1923, p. 65
- ^ a b Poore 1902, p. 118
- ^ a b Cleansing Committee 1971, pp. 6–7
- ^ a b Nicholls 1985, p. 20
- ^ Located along the south bank of the Irwell, directly opposite the Wilburn Street basin
- ^ a b c d Cleansing Committee 1971, p. 7
- ^ 1938 – Cheshire 1:10,560, old-maps.co.uk, 1938, archived from the original on 6 September 2012, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ "The Board Of Trade And Railway Rates" (Registration required), The Times, p. 12, 7 February 1890, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ 1938 – Cheshire 1:10,560, old-maps.co.uk, 1938, archived from the original on 5 September 2012, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ Dolman 1895, p. 31
- ^ Clark, Smith & Blowers 1992, p. 21
- ^ Poore 1902, p. 123
- ^ Poore 1902, pp. 118, 122
- ^ Nicholls 1985, p. 23
- ^ Poore 1902, pp. 120–121
- ^ a b Cleansing Committee 1971, p. 8
- ^ Evans 1923, p. 66
- ^ Evans 1923, p. 67
- ^ Nicholls 1985, pp. 48–49
- ^ Smith 2003, p. 14
- ^ a b Cleansing Committee 1971, p. 20
- ^ Charles, Wilf, A Brief History of Carrington Site S.C.U.K., Shell Carrington Joint Shop Stewards Committee
- ^ a b Propylene oxide and derivatives: a Shell history, shell.com, archived from the original on 6 June 2012, retrieved 12 December 2011
- ^ Irwin 1995, p. 87
- ^ Lundy & Cowling 1996, pp. 345–346
- ^ a b c d Bewsher, Simon, Shell at Carrington, bellingram.co.uk, archived from the original on 4 August 2009, retrieved 2 March 2014
- ^ Wilkie, Tom (16 May 1994), "Science: Atomic policeman's never-ending beat: Tom Wilkie spends a day with a man whose job is protecting workers from radiation", The Independent, London, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ Shell shuts shop, processengineering.co.uk, 2 December 2005, archived from the original on 14 March 2012, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ Carrington Site, lyondellbasell.com, retrieved 22 January 2017
- ^ White 2008, p. 9
- ^ New Training Facility for Bury Football Club..., buryfc.co.uk, 24 February 2015, retrieved 10 July 2015
- ^ OS Landranger Map—Manchester, leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk, retrieved 22 May 2009
- ^ Carrington Riding Centre, carrington-rc.com, archived from the original on 18 February 2010, retrieved 22 May 2009
- ^ OS Landranger Map – Manchester, leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk, retrieved 6 May 2009
- ^ a b Birks 1965, p. 270
- ^ Johnson 1985, p. 308
- ^ Sphagnum Balticum (PDF), plantlife.org.uk, 5 March 2004, archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2007, retrieved 6 May 2009
- ^ Grindon 1882, p. 53
- ^ Evans 1923, p. 68
- ^ Birch Moss Covert, wildlifetrust.org.uk, archived from the original on 21 November 2010, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ Manchester Utd plc, wildlifetrust.org.uk, archived from the original on 23 July 2011, retrieved 5 May 2009
- ^ Biodiversity – click relevant links for specific information on wildlife, actionfornature.co.uk, archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2011, retrieved 6 May 2009
- ^ Hind et al. 2001, p. 2
Bibliography
- Birks, H. J. B. (1965), "Late-glacial deposits at Bagmere, Cheshire, and Chat Moss, Lancashire", New Phytologist, 64 (2), Blackwell Publishing: 270,
- Clark, Michael; Smith, Denis; Blowers, Andrew (1992), Waste location: spatial aspects of waste management, hazards, and disposal, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-04824-9
- Cleansing Committee (1971), Visit of Members of the Cleansing Committee to the Carrington and Chat Moss Estates on Monday 14th June 1971, Manchester Library, Local Studies, 628.44 Mal: Manchester Corporation Cleansing Department
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - Dolman, Frederick (1895), Municipalities at Work, Taylor & Francis
- Evans, E. Price (1923), "Carrington Moss, with Special Reference to the Weeds of Arable Ground, Journal of Ecology, Vol. 11, No. 1 (May 1923)", Journal of Ecology, 11 (1), British Ecological Society: 64–77, JSTOR 2255603
- Grindon, Leo H. (1882), Country rambles, and Manchester walks and wild flowers: being rural wanderings in Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, & Yorkshire, Manchester, Palmer & Howe, retrieved 15 May 2009
- Hind, S. H.; McWilliam, S.; Shaw, B. T.; Farrell, S.; Wander, A. (2001), Lepidoptera in Cheshire in 2001 (PDF), cheshire-butterflies.co.uk, retrieved 15 May 2009
- Irwin, Alan (1995), Citizen science: a study of people, expertise and sustainable development, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-11548-5
- Johnson, Richard Hugh (1985), The Geomorphology of north-west England, Manchester University Press ND, ISBN 0-7190-1745-9
- Lawson, Richard (2009) [1898], A History of Flixton, Urmston, and Davyhulme, BiblioBazaar, LLC, ISBN 978-1-103-05928-7
- Lundy, Olive; Cowling, Alan (1996), Strategic human resource management, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-09989-7
- Nicholls, Robert (1985), Manchester's Narrow Gauge Railways: Chat Moss and Carrington Estates, Narrow Gauge Railway Society, ISBN 0-9507169-2-8
- Nigham, N. J. (1994), The Origins of Cheshire, Manchester University Press ND, ISBN 0-7190-3159-1
- Platt, Harold L. (2005), Shock Cities, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-67076-7
- Poore, George Vivian (1902), The Preservation and Destruction of Contagia, Longmans, Green, and co
- Smith, Peter J. C. (2003), Luftwaffe Over Manchester: The Blitz Years 1940–1944, Neil Richardson, ISBN 1-85216-151-5
- White, John D. T. (29 May 2008), The Official Manchester United Almanac (1 ed.), London: Orion Books, ISBN 978-0-7528-9192-7
- Wohl, Anthony S. (1984), Endangered Lives, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 0-416-37950-8
External links