I saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie last week and it was ok for the start of a franchise, but what was more interesting to me was the number of locations used in Manchester and Liverpool. The Stanley Dock in Liverpool was used almost as-is, but the Manchester locations were hard to spot (apart from the shooting they did inside the town hall, which was given away by the complete blacking out of the windows using a variety of cranes and high-lifts as I passed by one day). I think most of the Manchester locations were used just for background texture – mostly the old, dark lanes in the Northern Quarter – but regardless, it was enough to pique my interest. I find I look a lot harder at things through a camera, so I decided to go for a short photo tour of the area.

I just like this building. It’s right at the top (south) end of Hilton Street, overlooking the gravel car park at Piccadilly Basin.

This is Back China Street, which is now closed off. I had to shoot through the railings, which were fricking cold on my ears.

This is Lizard Street, which is also closed to the public as it’s now one (or more?) textile/clothing factories. I got some grief taking this shot from some guy who (along with an alarming number of people) think it’s illegal to photograph private buildings, but when I explained I was taking pictures as I thought the architecture was cool, he thought I was crazy and left me to it. I pumped the reds a bit to create some structure in the shot.

Mangle Street, which was specifically cited as a location for the film on IMDB. The greens were already strong, but I pushed them a bit further for fun.

More of Mangle Street. Between the broken gutters and the missing handrail, I think I’d be better off taking my chances with the fire… Ok – I increased the blues a smidge…

This is a building site on the corner of Dale Street and Little Lever Street. This building was knocked down after a fire a couple of years back, and they don’t seem to be in a rush to use the space. It’s an ugly scar – not least because some poor homeless guy died in that fire – but I like the way the low light was hitting the scaffolding.

One of two bridges connecting the old town hall with the new wing. The town hall was closed today so I couldn’t take photos inside (they used the building as a replica for Westminster Palace in the film) but I’ll head back at some point. Last time I was there was for some Geology Society Ball and I had a mildly inebriated nose around. It’s a fascinating building.

This is a private building on Mount Street, and I’ve no idea what it’s used for. The sun was hitting the fascia perfectly though, so I grabbed it.

The town hall clock tower from Albert Square, minus the big-ass Santa. By this point, my hands were so cold I could barely adjust my camera, so this is where the tour ends for now.

UPDATE: I set up a Picasa account and linked to the photos there so you can see them in a higher resolution. The previous versions were a bit small on larger displays.