As an easy day trip from Manchester, Nik and I took the roughly 40 minute train ride to Liverpool. The city is most known for its importance of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century with its port access…and for being the city where The Beatles were formed. As one does with only a day in Liverpool, we took a Beatles Tour!
Getting to Liverpool
Our hotel in Manchester was incredibly convenient to the Manchester Piccadilly train station and the ride offered views of the city that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. We passed by gorgeous old architecture, many buildings built with red brick which was a common material used in the city.
From there, we set out on foot to the starting point for our guided Beatles tour.
Liverpool Beatles Tour
Nik and I finally reached Royal Albert Dock, where our Beatles tour departed. The dock opened in 1846 and during World War II, heavy bombing severely damaged the site and left its owners struggling financially in the years that followed.
Numerous plans were developed for the re-use of the buildings but none came to fruition and in 1972 the dock was finally closed. Redevelopment of the dock began in 1981 and it officially re-opened in 1984.
Today the Royal Albert Dock is a major tourist attraction in the city and where our tour departed from.
Related: More of our day in Liverpool!
And We’re Off!
Though we booked our tour through a third party site, the tour was run by Liverpool City Sights and it was great. Chris was the guide doing narration throughout our 90 minute tour and served as unofficial cameraman as well. Nik and I settled into our seats on the upper level, taking in the surroundings as the bus set off.
The tour drove out of the dock area and into the city. As the music of the Beatles played in the background, Chris pointed out a few landmarks as we passed by them. The first Beatles related building was the Liverpool Institute, a school attended by both Paul McCartney and George Harrison.
Next was a view of Liverpool Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Great Britain and the 5th largest in the world. My picture doesn’t do justice to its immense size. We didn’t get a chance to visit it up close, so it’ll be on the agenda should we make a return visit to Liverpool.
We also caught a glimpse of a Ringo Starr mural on the site of a former pub, streets away from where the Beatles drummer grew up. The artwork covers the entire wall of the former Empress pub in Toxteth, which Starr paid tribute to on the cover of his first solo album in 1970.
Penny Lane
Our next Beatles location and our first stop where we got off the bus for a photo op was Penny Lane, a road which inspired the song of the same name.
No bright shops or much hustle, it’s your basic suburban street. The road is located in the south Liverpool suburb of Mossley Hill, a frequent stopping place for John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison during their childhood. Though I don’t have pictures, driving down Penny Lane and into the roundabout, you see the barber shop and the bus shelter mentioned in the song.
Strawberry Field
Our next sight to see was the gates to Strawberry Field which inspired John Lennon to write Strawberry Fields Forever based on his childhood memories of growing up nearby and playing in the garden there.
Something I didn’t know and learned on the tour was that this site is owned and operated by the Salvation Army and operated as a children’s home between 1936 and 2005. Today, it has been transformed into a visitor experience and community hub.
John Lennon’s Childhood House
Next was a passing view of John Lennon’s childhood home at 251 Menlove Avenue, where he lived from age five to 22.
While the bus stopped so Chris could tell us about the house and give us time for photos, he didn’t let us get off for a closer look.
Paul McCartney’s Family Home
Our next and last stop was at the family home of Paul McCartney at 20 Forthlin Road. Here we got off the bus and walked down the street to take a few photos.
Both the Lennon and McCartney homes are part of the National Trust, an organization that promotes the permanent preservation of lands and buildings of historic interest.
After the McCartney home, our bus returned to the dock. The tour was a great way to see so many sights without having to figure it out on our own. Chris’ narration was also great for really learning about the Beatles and their roots in Liverpool. I highly recommend this tour or one similar. It’s a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time.
The Cavern Club
Though not part of our bus tour, Nik and I walked into city center to check out The Cavern Club, a music venue in Liverpool where the Beatles’ UK popularity started. You enter off the street and head down a stairwell into what really feels like a musical cellar with walls covered in memorabilia, a couple bars for drinks and a stage at the front.
The Quarry Men, formed by John Lennon in 1956, made their debut there. This band eventually evolved into the Beatles in 1960, becoming the iconic band we recognize today.
Over the course of two and half years, which began when they first played at the venue in February 1961, the Beatles made a total of over 250 appearances at the club. The last being in 1963.
On our visit, we saw a few solo singers doing Beatles tributes. It was really quite entertaining and we stayed for a couple hours enjoying the live music.
Numerous other musicians have passed through The Cavern Club over the years, leading to a wall of fame outside the venue.
The club eventually closed, changed ownership, and was demolished in 1973. In 1984, builders constructed a replica on part of the original site, and today the venue thrives, drawing crowds once again. Truly a piece of music history and a royal gem that everyone should experience.
