The zebra crossing on Abbey Road in north London, made famous by The Beatles on the cover of their Abbey Road album, has been given listed status by the UK government.
The minister for tourism and heritage, John Penrose, said:
This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral but, thanks to The Beatles and a 10-minute photoshoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage.
It is the first time such protection has been given to a zebra crossing or other piece of road furniture. Abbey Road Studios were listed in February, and both the studio building and the crossing have long been a place of pilgrimage for Beatles fans.
It’s been a great year for me and a great year for the Beatles and hearing that the Abbey Road crossing is to be preserved is the icing on the cake.
The Grade II-listed status has been granted on the advice of English Heritage. A Grade II listing, the most common protected status, means that a building or monument is recognised as nationally important and of special interest.
The photoshoot for the cover of The Beatles’s Abbey Road album took place on Friday 8 August 1969.
The crossing is still in exactly the same place as in 1969:
https://www.grundoon.com/abbey-road
Hey, thanks for that – useful article.
That’s good to hear – both that the crossing is in the same place that it always was, and that it is now officially listed.
It tales a unique kind of fame to get a zebra crossing listed.
I think they shoud list the whole street, i.e. the part of the street that is seen on the record sleeve. They should also find the original cars (or at least the same mark as the ones on the sleeve picture, a beatle folkswaggen, etc) and place them on exactly the spots where they were when Beatles shot the cover picture. The cars should be listed to :=)
Greetings from Serbia to all Beatles fans.