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.

Along with parts of Moss Side and Withington, in 1885 Bradford, Harpurhey and Rusholme became part of the City of Manchester.
 To cope with the extra demands placed on the area's refuse disposal systems, Manchester Corporation began to look for disposal sites.
  A number of locations were considered, including one on Deeside and another in Nottinghamshire, but Carrington Moss was chosen due to the nature of its land and its accessibility.
 Therefore, in 1886, the corporation bought the Carrington Moss Estate—an area of grouse moorland—from Harry Grey, 8th Earl of Stamford.

The purchase was part of the corporation's ultimately unsuccessful plan to retain the pail closet system (now superseded by the water closet), and followed a public scandal created by the daily dumping of 30–60 tons of human faeces into the Medlock and Irwell rivers, at Holt Town sewage works.
 It paid about £38,000 (£4 million as of 2019), for the site, but the bog's depth, between 17 and 20 feet or 5.2 and 6.1 metres deep pushed the total development cost to almost £94,000 (£10 million as of 2019).
 The 1,101-acre (446 ha) estate included 600 acres (2.4 km²) of wild mossland, 209 acres (0.85 km²) of partly cultivated mossland, 282 acres (1.14 km²) of mossland under cultivation and 10 acres (40,000 m²) of incomplete roads.
 A number of brick buildings were included, along with Asphodel Farm and Ash Farm, both with wooden farmhouses.
 The corporation rented 700 acres (2.8 km²) of land in small holdings to local farmers and kept 400 acres (1.6 km²) for itself.

The bog's virgin moss was cultivated 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.
 A network of tramways and roads was constructed using clinker and other materials brought from the city.
 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.

Refuse was loaded from a number of locations and was first transported along the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, until that waterway was closed on 11 November 1888.
 For several years until the completion of its replacement, the Manchester Ship Canal, the corporation was reliant on Manchester's local railway network.
 Refuse was loaded at the corporation's Water Street Depot on to Cornbrook sidings and in waggons to Carrington on a junction from the Cheshire Lines Committee's (CLC) Glazebrook to Stockport Tiviot Dale line.
 The canal company installed a temporary dock on the new canal, although this was considered impractical and was rarely used.
 A more permanent arrangement was made several years later.
 New railway sidings were also built; once complete, refuse was loaded from near Oldham Road railway station and the corporation's Water Street Depot.
 It was then transported along the Ship Canal to a newly built wharf, and thereafter, by tramway across the moss.

Once delivered, refuse was normally placed in heaps and allowed to dry before being put into the ground.
 The naturally acidic water was a perfect receptacle for the contents of pail closets, rich in urea and nitrogen.
 Bacteria quickly broke the refuse down into ammonium compounds and free ammonia, which neutralised the soil's acidity and created ammonium nitrate—an essential fertiliser for arable land.

By the 1890s, over 70,000 long tons of excrement annually were being disposed of on the moss.
 The la
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.
Along with parts of Moss Side and Withington, in 1885 Bradford, Harpurhey and Rusholme became part of the City of Manchester.  To cope with the extra demands placed on the area's refuse disposal systems, Manchester Corporation began to look for disposal sites.   A number of locations were considered, including one on Deeside and another in Nottinghamshire, but Carrington Moss was chosen due to the nature of its land and its accessibility.  Therefore, in 1886, the corporation bought the Carrington Moss Estate—an area of grouse moorland—from Harry Grey, 8th Earl of Stamford.
The purchase was part of the corporation's ultimately unsuccessful plan to retain the pail closet system (now superseded by the water closet), and followed a public scandal created by the daily dumping of 30–60 tons of human faeces into the Medlock and Irwell rivers, at Holt Town sewage works.  It paid about £38,000 (£4 million as of 2019), for the site, but the bog's depth, between 17 and 20 feet or 5.2 and 6.1 metres deep pushed the total development cost to almost £94,000 (£10 million as of 2019).  The 1,101-acre (446 ha) estate included 600 acres (2.4 km²) of wild mossland, 209 acres (0.85 km²) of partly cultivated mossland, 282 acres (1.14 km²) of mossland under cultivation and 10 acres (40,000 m²) of incomplete roads.  A number of brick buildings were included, along with Asphodel Farm and Ash Farm, both with wooden farmhouses.  The corporation rented 700 acres (2.8 km²) of land in small holdings to local farmers and kept 400 acres (1.6 km²) for itself.
The bog's virgin moss was cultivated 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.  A network of tramways and roads was constructed using clinker and other materials brought from the city.  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.
Refuse was loaded from a number of locations and was first transported along the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, until that waterway was closed on 11 November 1888.  For several years until the completion of its replacement, the Manchester Ship Canal, the corporation was reliant on Manchester's local railway network.  Refuse was loaded at the corporation's Water Street Depot on to Cornbrook sidings and in waggons to Carrington on a junction from the Cheshire Lines Committee's (CLC) Glazebrook to Stockport Tiviot Dale line.  The canal company installed a temporary dock on the new canal, although this was considered impractical and was rarely used.  A more permanent arrangement was made several years later.  New railway sidings were also built; once complete, refuse was loaded from near Oldham Road railway station and the corporation's Water Street Depot.  It was then transported along the Ship Canal to a newly built wharf, and thereafter, by tramway across the moss.
Once delivered, refuse was normally placed in heaps and allowed to dry before being put into the ground.  The naturally acidic water was a perfect receptacle for the contents of pail closets, rich in urea and nitrogen.  Bacteria quickly broke the refuse down into ammonium compounds and free ammonia, which neutralised the soil's acidity and created ammonium nitrate—an essential fertiliser for arable land.
By the 1890s, over 70,000 long tons of excrement annually were being disposed of on the moss.  The la
Carrington Moss