Limestone and lime were used as raw materials for numerous manufacturing processes and, additionally, lime was used as a soil conditioner in agriculture.

Large quantities of limestone from the White Peak District of the High Peak in Derbyshire were consumed during this period of industrialisation. The passage of limestone and lime can been tracked from the quarries and lime works, down the Peak Forest Tramway to Bugsworth Canal Basin and then along the Peak Forest and Ashton Canals to Manchester. Here there were extensive facilities at Piccadilly, mainly around Junction St (now Jutland St), Store St and Meadow St (now Millbank St), where several limestone and lime wharfs were located. Most of these wharfs were canal-company owned but some were privately owned as well. It seems that the demand for limestone was sometimes so high that it exceeded the supply. For example, James Meadows Sr was the Joint Principal Agent for both canal companies and on the 30 Nov 1801, he was instructed:

However, not all of the boats unloaded at the Piccadilly wharfs. When the Rochdale Canal opened in 1804, boats could access it at Dale Street Basin and then proceed down through nine locks to enter the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield. Here, some of the boats were unloaded onto the wharf at Castle Quay.

In particular, the Peak Forest Canal Company was very effective at marketing their limestone and lime. They did this by reaching agreements with other canal operators to quote a single rate for the cost of the material, toll and freight. They also negotiated cheap bulk delivery contracts with the trustees of turnpikes for some 30 miles around Manchester.

By examining available data from other manufacturing processes it has been possible to show that limestone and lime did travel along the Bridgewater Canal and/or the Mersey and Irwell Navigation into the Mersey Basin where the alkali industry was concentrated. Access to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal was also possible via the two staircase locks on the river Irwell in Salford. Boats could also travel along the Rochdale Canal towards Sowerby Bridge in Yorkshire. When the Huddersfield Narrow Canal opened in 1811 there was then another route into Yorkshire. Locally, there was an important chemical industry centred on Clayton, Manchester, adjoining the Ashton Canal.

During the 19th and into the 20th century, Manchester was a centre for the heavy engineering industry and it was a large producer of steel. Around Manchester there were Bessemer converters and Siemens open-hearth furnaces. Limestone was sometimes used as a lining for Bessemer converters and as a slag-forming agent in open-hearth furnaces.

Limestone (calcium carbonate) was burnt (calcined) in lime kilns to produce burnt lime (calcium oxide), also known as quicklime. When burnt lime is slaked (quenched) with water it is usually known as lime (calcium hydroxide).

Confirmation of the widespread trade in limestone and lime on the Peak Forest and Ashton Canals can be extracted from their Classification of Merchandise Traffic, 1895.

Class A merchandise:
Limestone in bulk.

Class B merchandise:
Burnt lime, in bulk, to steel converters.
Lime in bulk.

Class C merchandise:
Lime e.o.h.p.
The meaning of e.o.h.p. is ‘except otherwise herein provided’ and this phrase
indicated that there may be exceptions to an agreement but they had to be stated.

Associated merchandise listed under Class C:
Soda ash.
This is washing powder (sodium carbonate) made from limestone and sodium chloride (salt). Applications included, water softening, manufacture of glass, paper and borax.
Whiting or whitening.
This is a type of paint, usually called 'whitewash' made from slaked lime and sometimes with various additives.

Class 1 merchandise:
Mortar mills.
These refer to grinding the materials used in the manufacture of builders’ mortar. Typically, lime mortar is made of 1 part lime to 2½ parts of sand but when cinders were readily available, they were milled and used instead of sand. Mortar made this way was exceptionally strong.

Class 3 merchandise:
Limestone, polished or dressed.
This refers to limestone suitable for building purposes.