Deansgate-Castlefield canal steps

The canal steps at Deansgate-Castlefield, on Deansgate in the Castlefield area of Manchester, England, are a set of stone and brick steps leading down from the street to the Bridgewater Canal and the canal basin below. The location is popular with photographers because of the contrast between the old industrial structures and the modern skyline: the Victorian brick and iron viaducts cross the water, while the glass Beetham Tower rises directly overhead. Looking up from the steps, visitors see the tower framed by the arches of the old railway viaducts, a view often photographed at blue hour, the period just after sunset when the sky turns deep blue and the building lights and canal reflections come on. The steps are free to access and open at all times, as they are part of the public realm, and a visit can be as short as 15 minutes or part of a longer walk along the towpath. Tripods work best on weekday evenings when pedestrian traffic is light. Weekend afternoons and summer evenings bring drinkers and strollers to the nearby waterside bars. The steps are a short walk from the Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink stop and sit beside the Roman fort and the Science and Industry Museum, so they combine easily with other Castlefield sights. Care is needed on the wet steps and beside the canal edge, particularly in the dark. The steps also serve as a convenient route between the street-level hotels and offices of Deansgate and the quieter canal-side, so they are used daily by commuters and joggers as well as visitors. Photographers often return at different times of day to compare the view in daylight, at dusk and after dark, when the tower and bridges are lit and the water reflects the lights. Visitors should allow extra time in winter, when the steps can be slippery with frost or leaf litter, and keep to the handrail where one is provided.