As with the rest of Malvern, Barnards Green owes much of its development to the area's rapid expansion from a cluster of hamlets and manors to a busy spa town during the mid-19th century.

[3] In the early 1950s the construction of the large Pound Bank council estate led to an increase in the population, and to the commercial activity in the shopping centre.

The centre of Barnard's Green is marked by the Twelve Apostles Island, a pear-shaped traffic roundabout in the central shopping area with its Art Deco style memorial bus shelter, and the nearby Hand of Peace sculpture in Portland stone by artist Rose Garrard.

Great Malvern railway station is located in Avenue Road about 0.3 miles (0.48 km) from the Barnards Green roundabout, and provides direct services to Worcester, Hereford, Birmingham, Oxford and London.

Serving areas further afield are: the Malvern to Worcester route 44, 44A, 44B operated by First Diamond serving stops at the Barnards Green bus shelter and Pound Bank; The Worcester – Upton-upon-Severn – Malvern route 362/363 operated by Diamond serves that stops at the Barnards Green bus shelter and the Malvern – Gloucester – Cheltenham route 377 (Saturdays only) operated by Diamond, stopping at the Court Road shops and the Barnards Green bus shelter.