Penny Lane, Liverpool

Penny Lane, Liverpool

Penny Lane, a fairly typical suburban shopping street in the eastern suburb of Mossley Hill, has become world famous thanks to the Beatles hit that bears its name. It was written by Paul McCartney, who attended St Barnabas Church on the street and often met here his childhood friend and fellow Beatle, John Lennon, before catching a bus to Liverpool’s city centre. The many sights referenced in the lyrics can still be found on Penny Lane, including a bus shelter, a barber shop and a fire station. Street signs bearing the famous name were stolen so regularly that the council began painting the street name onto buildings instead.

“Penny Lane” was released in 1967 as a double A-side single with “Strawberry Fields Forever”, another song which references a Liverpool landmark. Beatles producer, George Martin, believed that it was collectively their finest single. It went to No.1 in the US, but only reached No.2 in the UK charts. The street has grown in stature as the result of its Beatles connections, and has become an attraction for tourists and locals alike. It caused some embarrassment to the council officials at one point, when they proposed that all Liverpool streets named after slave traders be renamed, unaware that Penny Lane was indeed named after the local slave trader James Penny. The famous street thus kept its name, whilst the other street names in the city were changed.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Liverpool. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Penny Lane on Map

Sight Name: Penny Lane
Sight Location: Liverpool, England (See walking tours in Liverpool)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Liverpool, England

Create Your Own Walk in Liverpool

Create Your Own Walk in Liverpool

Creating your own self-guided walk in Liverpool is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part III

Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part III

Now that you have been to a good number of spots in Liverpool associated with the Beatles, it is high time to explore the “early days” of the Fab Four in their hometown and see where it all started. On this self-guided walk you will visit the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and the place where they met and gave birth to the greatest band in the history of rock-n-roll!

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.3 Km or 3.3 Miles
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part I

Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part I

The birthplace of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Star, Liverpool is called the “Beatles Capital” for an apparent reason. The city saw the dawn of their musical career and has plenty of Beatles-themed bars, restaurants, hotels and other associated places. This guide will take you to some of the most prominent of them.

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Beatles Pub Crawl

Beatles Pub Crawl

You have lots of pubs in Liverpool, all different in character, with some claiming that the Beatles drank or played there at some point. The lads performed in many small venues in and around their hometown, but the venues they performed in were often not the places where they enjoyed their drinks. Take this self-guided walk to see some of the legendary pubs that John, Paul, George and Ringo either...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Liverpool Historical Sites Walking Tour

Liverpool Historical Sites Walking Tour

Three of the most remarkable buildings of Liverpool-- Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool-- are all situated in the Pier Head. They are called the Three Graces of Liverpool. This self guided walking tour leads you to discover some of the most important historic buildings in Liverpool.

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
Liverpool Introduction Walking Tour

Liverpool Introduction Walking Tour

Famously, the hometown (aka the “capital”) of the Beatles, Liverpool is more than just the Fab Four. Closely associated with the arts, music, culture, and architecture, as well as industrial innovation, the city is renowned for its multitude of historic landmarks, world-class sport arenas and shopping/entertainment. The abundance of art galleries, national museums and listed attractions in...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part II

Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part II

Liverpool is permeated with The Beatles who seem to be everywhere! There are so many places associated with the Fab Four in the city: childhood homes, schools, bars. Some of them are rather unassuming places, at a glance, and thus can be easily overlooked. To prevent this from happening, take this self-guided walk to find the memorable spots in Liverpool no Beatles fan can afford to miss!

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles