The childhood homes of John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney have been listed Grade II by Heritage Minister John Penrose upon the advice of English Heritage. But applications to list the childhood homes of George Harrison and Ringo Starr have been turned down.

Mendips, the 1930s semi-detached home on Menlove Avenue in Woolton where John Lennon lived for 17 years (see right), and the terraced house in Forthlin Road where Sir Paul McCartney lived for nine years are currently owned and managed as visitor attractions by the National Trust.

The houses are not only where Lennon and McCartney spent their formative years, but where The Beatles later rehearsed and wrote songs such as Please, Please Me and I Saw Her Standing There.

Heritage Minister John Penrose said the listing means they will now be legally protected from “being bashed around or altered in future”.

He said: “These houses, unremarkable from the outside, have been painstakingly preserved and restored so that visitors today can get a real sense of how life must have been for the group as they were starting up.

“They certainly merit the extra protection from demolition and development that listing provides and will, I hope, continue to be places of pilgrimage for Beatles fans young and old for many years to come.”

Emily Gee, Head of Designation at English Heritage, added: “We are delighted that the Minister has listed these two evocative houses where Lennon and McCartney developed their talents and created The Beatles.

“Listing celebrates special interest, and in the case of Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road they possess extraordinary historic and cultural interest for their strong connections with these renowned British musicians.”

The world-famous zebra crossing used on the cover of The Beatles album Abbey Road was also listed Grade II, in December 2010.

However, applications to list the childhood homes of George Harrison and Ringo Starr were turned down as the houses had been altered and modernised and had little association with the group’s early development.

Meanwhile, an application to list the Gate piers and Gates (which are in fact replicas of the originals) to the former children’s home Strawberry Fields was also turned down.

If you would like to comment on this story, please email editorial@mandh-online.com and we will publish your thoughts and opinions.

Related Content:

Abbey Road crossing becomes protected heritage site
The zebra crossing on Abbey Road is already etched into rock and roll history after being made famous by The Beatles, but now it has also been listed as a national heritage site.