A sunny day and I felt the need for fresh air and long perspectives.

There is one place that draws me like a magnet. Blackstone Edge is a sort of spirtual home. So I took a train from Victoria Station and twenty minutes later was walking out of Littleborough station. This time instead of turning east I went north west up Hare Hill Road, Shore Road and Moor Gate Lane to get a view of Blackstone Edge and its 473m (1552ft) craggy heights.

I took a picture and then some more of the city centre towers fourteen miles distant to the south west. I did a quick, almost unthinking, post on Twitter inviting others to chuck in their favourite views of the city centre's burgeoning skyline. Images came flooding in from all points of the compass around Greater Manchester. More appeared on Facebook via Instagram.

View From Shore Above Littleborough — **The catalyst picture: view of the city centre from Shore above Littleborough** Image: Confidential

There was an article earlier in the year in The Times about Manchester's night-time economy quoting Paulette Constable who after more than two decades in Ibiza, Paris and London returned to find Manchester "has a skyline now." She continued: "I rode my bike in one day during the pandemic and there it was. You can see it coming in on the M60 or when you land at the airport." She was astonished.

Anybody who has been living in and around central Manchester and Salford over the past few years is well aware of the towers blooming over the twin cities.

There might be little surprise anymore for residents but the contrast with other UK regional capitals is instructive and stark. We now have more than 16 towers over 100m (350ft). Outside the capital Birmingham is the second tallest city with six structures over 100m. The tallest in Brum is BT Tower from 1966 and that is 61m (200ft) shorter than Deansgate Square's South Tower and the latter's impressive 201m (659ft).

Manchester and Salford's skyline is still on the move too with another eight or so towers planned or under constuction all of which will smash that 100m line. One tower will be 213m (700ft). Some commentators disparage this rampant upward mobility and mutter about gentrification (falsely) and about rich ghettos (possibly). Other commentators and people think it's exciting and fascinating to witness. Place me in that bracket.

As Jason Wood's picture shows, there are two main clusters of new towers. One sits at the end of Deansgate and Lower Mosley Street and the other is in the Greengate area of Salford with a smattering of tall places inbetween.

Manchester View From Buckton Castle — August 2023. The hills, the heather and Buckton Castle above Carrbrook. Only ditches and a causeway remain of a 12th century castle built at 1099ft above sea-level. Highest ever built in the UK? Perhaps the reason for abandonment? Image: Confidentials

Below is a selection of photos that were posted following that initial Tweet with a couple more of our own added in. There's even a painting. The main image comes from David Spendlove from due south of the city centre and we've included a couple of Andy Mallin's astonishing drone pictures which we featured in a separate article.

Hulme Arch Bridge Aerial 01 — **August 2023. Manchester from a little south of Hulme Arch on Princess Parkway** Image: Andy Mallins

Toast Rack Estrela P Cushman Wakefield 1 — **The Toastrack in Fallowfield with the city towers behind** Image: Cushman & Wakefield

04102023 Stock Market Grill 13 — **View by Carl Thompson along Deansgate** Image: Carl Thompson (Twitter)

View By Colin Baguley — **View by Colin Bagley from Birchwood** Image: Colin Bagley (Twitter)

View From Ceebreeze Winter Hill Mossley Cross North Of Simister Junction — **View from Ceebreeze from Winter Hill** Image: @ceebreeze (Twitter)

Ftvadtl Xg Aauj Ve — **View by Andy Spinoza from Charlesworth. A poignant image of the towers of the dead and the towers of the living** Image: Andy Spinoza (Twitter)

View By Jason Wood From Oldham — **View by Jason Wood from Oldham showing the Deansgate cluster to the left and the Greengate cluster to the right** Image: Jason Wood (Twitter)

**View from 20 Stories restaurant** Image: Confidentials

View From High Count Hill Oldham By Shaun — **View from High Count Hill, Oldham** Image: Shaun (Twitter)

View From James In Castlefield — **View from James in Castlefield** Image: James (Twitter)

View From Ceebreeze Robin Hoods Bed Blackstone Edge — **View from Robin Hood's Bed, Blackstone Edge** Image: Ceebreeze (Twitter)

View From Smashi From The Etihad — **View from Smashi from the Etihad** Image: Smashi (Twitter)

View From Jeff From Delamere — **View from Jeff from Delamere miles to the south** Image: Jeff (Twitter)

View From Climat Restaurant By Confidentials — **View from Climat Restaurant, Blackfriars House** Image: Confidentials

View From Skyblue Centurion From Oldham — **View from Skyblue Centurion from Oldham** Image: Skyblue Centurion (Twitter)

View By Beed — **View by Beed from Tandle Hill** Image: Beed (Twitter)

View From Kinder By Liz Lord — **View by Liz Lord of Kinder** Image: Liz Lord (Twitter)

View From Lower Mosley Street — **View from Lower Mosley Street** Image: Confidentials

Manchester Central Aerial 01 Copy — **View by Andy Mallins via drone from over Manchester Central** Image: Andy Mallins

View From Dave Spendlove From Cheshire — **View by Dave Spendlove from south of Stockport** Image: Dave Spendlove (Twitter)

View From Syke Above Rochdale — **View from Syke above Rochdale** Image: Confidentials

View From Kersal Wetlands — **View from Kersal Wetlands, Salford** Image: Confidentials

View From Brooks Bottom By Susie Benson — **View by Susie Benson from Brooks Bottom** Image: Susie Benson (Twitter)

A Hint Of The City From Beeston Castle Almost Forty Miles Away — **A hint of the city towers from almost forty miles away at Beeston Castle** Image: Confidentials

Manchester By John Walmsley — **Manchester by John Walmsley, writing 'Off Bleaklow Moor over Glossop looking down Shining Clough'.** Image: John Walmsley (Twitter)

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