10 Admiral Grove, Ringo Starr's Childhood Home in Liverpool

10 Admiral Grove is the small terraced house in Toxteth, Liverpool 8, where Ringo Starr lived from about the age of three until 1963. His mother moved there from nearby Madryn Street, where he was born. It is a private home: a fan bought it in 2016 under terms that stop it becoming a museum.

From Madryn Street to Admiral Grove

Richard Starkey was born on 7 July 1940 at 9 Madryn Street, in the part of Toxteth known as the Welsh Streets. His parents separated when he was three. His mother, Elsie, then moved with him to 10 Admiral Grove, a smaller and cheaper two-up two-down nearby.

People often call Admiral Grove his birthplace. It isn't. Madryn Street is where he was born, and Admiral Grove is where he grew up. The Madryn Street house had its own story. It was included in demolition plans for the Welsh Streets from 2010. Housing minister Grant Shapps said in 2012 that it would be saved, and in 2016 the council said it would probably stay.

What happened at number 10

St Silas primary school on Pengwern Street was only yards from his front door. According to the BBC, he learned to play drums in the house and had his 21st birthday party there, and the other Beatles were regular visitors. In 1963 the BBC documentary The Mersey Sound filmed fans mobbing him on Admiral Grove as he walked to George Harrison's open-top sports car. He left home that year. His mother and stepfather Harry later moved to a house in Gateacre that he bought for them.

The Empress pub stands at the end of the street and is on the cover of Sentimental Journey, his first solo album. His 2008 song "Liverpool 8" refers to both his old addresses.

The 2016 auction

Housing association Plus Dane owned the house and let it to a tenant, Margaret Gorse. After her death it went to auction, and the sale was held at the Cavern Club in March 2016. Beatles fan Jackie Holmes bought it for £70,000, which was £15,000 over the guide price. She already owned houses connected with Lennon's mother Julia and with George Harrison.

Plus Dane said the terms of the sale meant the house could not be turned into a tourist attraction or a museum. That makes it different from Lennon's Mendips and McCartney's 20 Forthlin Road, which the National Trust owns and opens for tours.

Seeing it today

You can only see the house from the street. The BBC said in 2016 that Beatles tours included it and that fans came every day. None of the sources we checked mention a plaque. The national blue plaque scheme only honours people who died at least 20 years ago, so Starr is not yet eligible. The Empress pub at the end of the grove is the easiest landmark to look for.

George Harrison's birthplace, 12 Arnold Grove in Wavertree, is about 3 km east and has had a blue plaque since 2024.