The Gas Works Steps ascend from the South Quay by the side of the Old Swing Bridge Tower to Douglas Head Road.
Other source claim that the Steps lead from the South Quay up to Fort William or connect the South Quay and Fort Anne Road.
There were steps on this pathway by 1866 as the following article from the Manx Sun on Saturday, August 04, 1866 attests:
"Town Commissioners’ Meeting, Douglas, Tuesday, July 31st July, 1866.
At the fortnightly meeting this afternoon all the commissioners, except Messrs M’Ghie and W. Cannell, were present; Mr. Dearden in the chair.
Improvement Committee
The Chairman said that the committee appointed at the previous meeting to meet Major Goldie Taubman in reference to the rebuilding of walls adjoining the pathway and steps from South Quay to Fort Anne Road, had meet that gentleman on the premised. It appeared that Mr. Taubman purposed rebuilding the wall on each side the entire length of the pathway, in consequence of the present wall being in a bad state of repair. He purposed, however, to leave a pathway only 7 feet in width for the public. The committee urged that he ought to leave a wider road than that, and ultimately, he agreed to leave a pathway of a uniform width of 8 feet. One reason which he alleged for this narrowing of the road was that nuisances were frequently committed in the recess near the step at the upper end. The committee measured the present pathway and found that at the top it was 13 feet in width, in the middle 12 feet, and at the lower end 14 feet, giving an average of 13 feet, or 5 feet wide than the road which Mr Taubman proposed to leave for the public. The committee had every disposition to meet Mr Taubman in a fair spirit, but they could not feel justified in giving him one inch of the public ground. (Hear, Hear) They, therefore, recommended that arbitrators should be appointed by the Board and by Mr. Taubman; that the road should be reserved according to their measurement; and that if any portion of the road was inclosed for the purpose of strengthening the wall an equal portion of grounds should be given elsewhere. In order to abate the nuisance complained of at the top of the road, the committee recommended the Board to extend the steps the whole width of the road.
Mr. Teare moved that the recommendations of the committee be adopted.
Seconded by Mr. Craine, and agreed to."
There are 93 steps from the top to the bottom and the distance travelled is 0,6km. The stairway is split into a series of flights and there are benches approximately half-way to allow the pedestrians to catch their breath before ascending the second half of the stairway.
The central hand-rail probably dates from 1896 as the following article from the Manx Sun on Saturday, June 27, 1896 refer to its installation:
"That the remarks in the street upon the unsatisfactory state of the steps from South Quay to Douglas Head road have had good effect upon the official mind, a hand rail in the centre will certainly be of great service; but the steps will never be satisfactory until they have been rearranged and those steep gradients between abolished."
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