Beatles’ Abbey Road Crossing Wins Heritage Status

The Abbey Road zebra crossing that appeared on a Beatles album cover has been recognized with a grade II listing.
Beatles’ Abbey Road Crossing Wins Heritage Status
Actors dressed as the Beatles crossing the zebra crossing outside the Abbey Road Studios in London. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
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<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/botflies56708493.jpg" alt="Actors dressed as the Beatles crossing the zebra crossing outside the Abbey Road Studios in London. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)" title="Actors dressed as the Beatles crossing the zebra crossing outside the Abbey Road Studios in London. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1810648"/></a>
Actors dressed as the Beatles crossing the zebra crossing outside the Abbey Road Studios in London. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
The Abbey Road zebra crossing in North London, which appeared on a Beatles album cover, has been recognized with a grade II listed status, the British government announced on Wednesday.

The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport recognized the crossing’s status following English Heritage’s advice for its “cultural and historical importance,” according to Abbey Road Studios’s website. The crossing is near Abbey Road Studios, a recording venue once used by the Beatles, which was listed earlier this year.

The crossing is the first of its kind to be listed for its “unique special interest,” according to BBC News.

The Abbey Road became famous after the Beatles were photographed on the crossing by Scottish photographer Ian Macmillan for their 1969 album Abbey Road.

“This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral but, thanks to the Beatles and a 10-minute photo-shoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage,” Minister for Tourism and Heritage John Penrose told the BBC.

Even though four decades have passed since the Beatles posed on Abbey Road, the crossing still attracts thousands of music fans from around the globe, according to Abbey Road Studios.

“We are delighted that this has been granted,” said Jonathan Smith, general manager of Abbey Road Studios.