20 Forthlin Road

20 Forthlin Road is a two-story house built in brick with a tiled roof and a central ridge stack, situated on the north side of Forthlin Road as part of a terrace of eight similar properties. The windows have been replaced by the current owner to better reflect the building’s original appearance, with those to the front having been sourced from a house on the opposite side of the street.

The front of the house has two bays. A doorway is located on the ground floor to the right-hand side, featuring a partly-glazed door and a flat hood above. A six-over-six sash window is situated above it on the first floor. To the left, there are tripartite, multipaned sash windows on both floors, and an alleyway is shared with the adjacent property on the far left. The rear elevation features a combination of multipaned casement and sash windows on both floors, along with a replaced back door slightly left of centre. A high brick wall with a plank and batten door projects from the right side of the rear wall, providing access to the alleyway. Attached to this wall is a small, L-shaped brick outbuilding which contains an outdoor toilet and storage.

Inside, the entrance hall contains a staircase with a closed string, a plain newel post, and stick balusters. Four-panel doors are found throughout the house, although only one or two are original; the remainder were installed by the current owner. The front ground floor room was used by The Beatles for composing songs and features a glazed tile fireplace and Chinese-style wallpaper recreated from a surviving fragment. Double doors lead to a smaller rear room used for rehearsals. The kitchen is located at the rear right of the ground floor and retains an original quarry tiled floor and one original cupboard, while other units, a sink, and fittings are later replacements. The first floor contains three bedrooms, a toilet, and a bathroom. The main front bedroom, formerly occupied by Paul McCartney’s parents, incorporates a built-in wardrobe. An adjacent, smaller front room was Paul McCartney’s room, while his brother Mike had the larger rear bedroom, also containing a built-in wardrobe and previously used as a darkroom. Both Paul and Mike’s former bedrooms have patterned linoleum flooring which may be original. The bathroom and toilet have modern fittings.