The Beatles: London tour of Abbey Road and other Fab Four locations

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< Up	Britain / Music / Beatles / London
Visit places in London associated with the Beatles


Sections:	Introduction
	Tours
	Hyde Park Corner
	St John's Wood
	Baker Street
	Tottenham Court Road
	Piccadilly Circus
	Further information
	Links

Related pages:	Liverpool (places in Liverpool connected with the Beatles)
	Songs (music and songs of the Beatles)

INTRODUCTION

Buy products connected with the Beatles:

Book ; Music CD ; Poster ; Video/DVD

The Beatles in London
buy this poster

This page will help you to visit places in London which are associated with the Beatles.
For convenience, these places have been grouped into sections based on the nearest underground stations.

	Guide to the Beatles' London Author: Richard Porter Publisher: Abbey Road Cafe Date: July 2000		The Beatles in London Walk Author: Paul Garner Publisher: Louis London Walks Date: May 1999
	Rock 'n' Roll London Author: Max Wooldridge (foreward: Malcolm McLaren) Publisher: New Holland Publishers (UK) Date: June 2002		Rock and Pop London Editors: Crail Low, Lucy Minto Publisher: Handbook Publishing Date: September 1997

TOURS

One of the best ways to see the Beatles sites is to join a guided tour:

- There is a regular minibus tour called The Beatles & Rock 'n' Roll London. For details and to book a place, see: http://www.beatles-beatles-beatles.com. This tour not only introduces the Beatles sites but also introduces the music and places associated with many other rock stars, including the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Queen, the Sex Pistols, the Clash and Eric Clapton. Special tours can be organised for groups which have a special interest in a certain group or style of music. The start of the tour is outside the Hard Rock Cafe, near Hyde Park Corner underground station (map).

- Guided walking tours are another alternative. For information about these, see: http://www.beatlesinlondon.com. Walks start at the exits of Tottenham Court Road (Dominion Theatre exit) or Marylebone underground stations.

If you want to go to see the sites by yourself, you could use the underground system, for example:
- Start at Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly line)
- Walk to Green Park and take the Jubilee line (northbound) to St John's Wood
- Take the Jubilee line (southbound) to Baker Street
- Take the Jubilee line (southbound) to Bond Street, change onto the Central line (eastbound) to Tottenham Court Road
- Take the Northern line (southbound) to Leicester Square, change onto the Piccadilly line (westbound) to Piccadilly Circus

These are some of the streets in central London which played an important role in the history of the Beatles:

HYDE PARK CORNER

The Hard Rock Cafe at 150 Old Park Lane (map; http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes/Cafes.aspx?Lc=LOND) has a vault beneath its shop which contains many items of rock memorabilia. Free tours are provided. You can see John Lennon's original handwritten lyrics to 'Imagine' and 'Instant Karma' and the glasses and jacket which he wore during a Beatles concert in New York City. There is also a gold disc which was presented to the group after their album Lonely Hearts Club Band had achieved sales worth 1 million dollars in the US. Within the Hard Rock Cafe's restaurant you can see the drum kit used by Ringo Starr before he joined the Beatles.

Glasses and jacket worn by John Lennon
at New York City concert

Hard Rock Cafe Vault
guide

Gold disc for
Lonely Hearts Club Band album

Brian Epstein ran a couple of music / record shops in Liverpool before becoming the manager of the Beatles in December 1961. He negotiated their record contract with EMI, and replaced the drummer Pete Best with Ringo Starr. He also managed other Liverpool artists including Gerry & The Pacemakers and Cilla Black. He died in August 1967 from a drugs overdose while living in his London home at 24 Chapel Street (map).

24 Chapel Street

ST JOHN'S WOOD

Beatles Coffee Shop (formerly known as Abbey Road Cafe) is located at the exit of St John's Wood station: http://www.beatlescoffeeshop.com. Beatles items are sold inside.

At the end of Grove End Road and you can see the modern street sign for Abbey Road (this is usually covered in graffiti) (map).

Guide on the tour
"The Beatles & Rock 'n' Roll London"

Abbey Road
street sign

At the entrance to Abbey Road is a zebra crossing. This was featured on the cover of the Beatles album "Abbey Road". The two white-painted columns beside the pavement are the entrance to EMI's Abbey Road Studios (on the right of the photo on the left, and behind the white car in the cover of the Abbey Road album on the right). If you tell your family or friends when you arrive, they can watch you on the live webcam: http://www.abbeyroad.com/virtual_visit/webcam. Note that in the UK, cars must stop if a pedestrian starts to cross a zebra crossing, so don't stand directly in front of it unless you are about to cross.

Zebra crossing on Abbey Road

"Abbey Road" album cover

Most of the songs of the Beatles were recorded at the Abbey Road studios (at 3 Abbey Road; see: http://www.abbeyroad.com). Many Beatles fans write messages on the wall outside (it is regularly repainted, but photographs are taken first).

Graffiti from the wall in front of the studios

Abbey Road Studios

The Beatles at the entrance

The studios today

Paul McCartney bought a home not far from Abbey Road at 7 Cavendish Avenue (map) in 1966 - fans used to sleep outside, hoping to see him.

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BAKER STREET

You can visit the London Beatles Store at 231 Baker Street (map): http://www.beatlesstorelondon.co.uk. This contains a wide variety of Beatles souvenirs.

London Beatles Store, 231 Baker Street

Some of the items for sale in the shop

Shop sign

On Marylebone Road is Madame Tussaud's (map). This tourist attraction includes waxwork models of many famous people, including the Beatles, as well as many interactive exhibits. If you want to visit, you should book online in advance to avoid the queues: http://www.madame-tussauds.co.uk.

At the beginning of the film "A Hard Day's Night" you can see the Beatles running down Boston Place (map) and into Marylebone Station.

Madame Tussaud's

Boston Place

Marylebone station

At 94 Baker Street (close to the intersection with Paddington Street; map) there is a plaque to John Lennon on the wall. This is the place where the Apple Boutique was opened. It was painted in bright psychedelic colours, and at the time many of the nearby shops complained about it. The store was not successful and was closed soon afterwards - the stock was given away free instead of being sold.

Ringo Starr leased the ground floor / basement flat at 34 Montagu Square (map) in 1965. He moved out after getting married, and allowed friends to stay there. In July 1968 John Lennon and Yoko Ono moved in, but in October that year the flat was raided by the police and John and Yoko were charged with possession of cannabis. Ringo was then forced to give up the lease to the flat.

Location of the Apple Store

John Lennon plaque

34 Montagu Square

TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD

Paul McCartney's music publishing company - MPL Communications (http://www.mplcommunications.com) - is in Soho Square (map). Paul sometimes comes here for business meetings.

McCartney Productions Limited

Entrance to the MPL offices

PICCADILLY CIRCUS

John and Yoko first met at an art gallery in Mason's Yard - this is still an art gallery, although the name has changed (map).

The Beatles performed on the roof of the former location of the Apple record company at 3 Savile Row (map) in January 1969. This was their last ever live performance, featured in the film "Let It Be".

Mason's Yard: the art gallery
where John and Yoko met

3 Savile Row:
Entrance

The roof on which the
Beatles performed

FURTHER INFORMATION

The Knowledge of London website includes a page of information about locations in London which are connected with the Beatles: http://knowledgeoflondon.com/beatles.html

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LINKS

Places in Liverpool associated with the Beatles: Britain/Music/Beatles/Liverpool
The songs of the Beatles: Britain/Music/Beatles/Songs
UK music festivals: Life/Entertainment/Festivals
Entertainment in London: Life/Entertainment/London
British pop music: Britain/Music/Pop

Home page: Home

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