A key that does not open any door but holds extraordinary significance is anticipated to fetch up to £3,000 at an auction in Gloucester, thanks to its connection to Paul McCartney. This remarkable item is the original key to McCartney’s childhood home at 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool, complete with a certificate of authenticity and a labelled tag.
Paul McCartney lived at this Liverpool council house with his family from 1955 until late 1963. It was here that McCartney’s musical talents were nurtured; his father gifted him a guitar, and Paul learned to play several instruments including trumpet, piano, guitar, and drums. The house also served as a crucial meeting and rehearsal place for The Beatles in their early days.
After joining John Lennon’s group, The Quarrymen, in 1957, and with George Harrison joining a year later, the band eventually evolved into The Beatles. By 1962, Ringo Starr completed the lineup that would take the world by storm. The Forthlin Road home is famed for being a creative hub where Lennon and McCartney developed many of their early songs.
READ MORE: Gloucester Rugby banking on Welsh recruits to reignite title challenge
READ MORE: Arson Inquiry Launched Following Severe Fire at Cheltenham Trade Park
Following Paul McCartney’s move to London in 1963, the house remained occupied by his father, Jim, and brother Mike until 1964, after which Ashley and Sheila Jones took residence. During this time, a young fan named Kathy Salt, living in Bellerose, New York, wrote to the occupant of 20 Forthlin Road and received a detailed handwritten reply from Ashley Jones. Included in this reply was one of two original keys to the property, believed to be McCartney’s own.
Kathy has treasured this key ever since as a unique personal link to the Beatles. The Jones family made several renovations around 1978, replacing original doors and fixtures. When the National Trust acquired the house in 1995, it was restored to its late 1950s state, highlighting its historical significance. Notably, the original front door sold in 2013 for £4,100 and again later for about £5,000.
The key is part of Kathy’s wider collection of Beatles memorabilia, which she is now beginning to sell. Alongside the key, various autographs addressed to “Kathy,” press photographs, ticket stubs, and a Beatles hotel sheet will also be part of the upcoming sale this October at Dominic Winter Auctioneers.
Chris Albury, Director at Dominic Winter Auctioneers, commented on the rarity of such an item, “Objects with such a direct and personal connection to the Beatles rarely come to market. This key, with its exceptional provenance, is expected to draw significant global interest.”
The auction, titled “Photographs, Posters & Postcards | Autographs & Historical Documents | Beatles Memorabilia,” will take place on 7 October 2026.