Carrington Moss is a large area of peat bog near Carrington in Greater
Manchester, England. It is south of the River Mersey, approximately
10 miles (16 km) south-west of Manchester, and occupies an area of
about 1,100 acres (445 hectares). The depth of peat varies between
17 feet (5 m) and 20 feet (6 m). Originally an unused area of grouse
moorland, the Moss was reclaimed in the latter half of the 19th century
for farming and the disposal of nearby Manchester's waste. A system of
tramways was built to connect the Moss with the Manchester Ship Canal
and a nearby railway line. During World War II the land was used as a
Starfish site, and in the latter half of the 20th century a large
industrial complex was built along its northern edge. More recently
several sporting facilities have been built on Carrington Moss. Today,
the land is still used for farming, and several nature reserves have
been established within its bounds. Parts of the Moss are accessible to
the public over several rights of way.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Moss>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1865:
With their supply trains destroyed by Union troops one day earlier,
Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General
Ulysses S. Grant at the McLean House near the Appomattox Court House in
Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Appomattox_Courthouse>
1940:
World War II: Nazi Germany began Operation Weserübung, invading Denmark
and Norway.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Weser%C3%BCbung>
1959:
NASA announced the selection of the Mercury Seven , the first
astronauts in Project Mercury.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Mercury>
1989:
An anti-Soviet demonstration in Tbilisi, Georgia, was quashed by the
Soviet army, resulting in 20 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_9_tragedy>
2005:
Charles, Prince of Wales, married his long-time mistress Camilla Parker
Bowles, culminating the controversial romantic relationship between the
two.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Charles%2C_Prince_of_Wales_and_Camilla_Parker_Bowles>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
eddy (n):
A current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to,
the main current
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eddy>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
These tall and handsome ships, swaying imperceptibly on tranquil
waters, these sturdy ships, with their inactive, nostalgic appearance,
don’t they say to us in a speechless tongue: When do we cast off for
happiness?
--Charles Baudelaire
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Baudelaire>