New student flats to open on historic Grey Street

Barclays House on Grey Street is set to become new student halls.

The Grade II listed building was formerly the Royal Turks Head Hotel where it is rumoured the Beatles stayed in 1963.

The new halls will be at the heart of Grey’s Street just opposite the Theatre Royal.

Plans for the halls have been submitted to Newcastle City Council, with the aim of having 116 en-suite bedrooms with communal facilities.

It’s claimed that McCartney and Lennon were inspired after playing a concert at the Majestic Ballroom when the band were on tour with Roy Orbinson and Gerry & the Pacemakers.

McCartney has stated in an interview the song was penned when the band were in the Toon:

“So we sat in the hotel bedroom for a few hours and wrote it — John and I, sitting on twin beds with guitars.”

Plans to put up a historical plaque at the hotel fell through in 2003 when neither Ringo Starr nor Paul McCartney could remember whether they wrote the song in the Imperial Hotel in Jesmond or the Royal Turk’s Head.

Despite Beatles fans believing the song was penned at the Imperial, retired taxi driver Les Curry has claimed he picked the band up at Central Station and dropped the famous 4 at the Royal Turk’s Head on 26 June 1963.

This application for new student halls follows recent plans submitted to the council for halls on Westgate Road.