It was laid out around 1790 in Georgian style with a central grass area behind railings, by Thomas and William Paty.

Numbers 12-18 were damaged during the Bristol Blitz in World War II and were rebuilt to maintain the same facade.

[citation needed] Many of the buildings are now owned and used by the University of Bristol, these include the Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) and the Technical Advisory Service for Images (TASI); while others are hotels and offices.

The statue in the gardens is a replica of the Bristol High Cross which was erected in the city in 1373 honouring various British monarchs, and moved to College Green in 1733.

[4] The current statue is a replica which was originally sited on College Green was made by John Norton in 1851 and removed in the late 1940s.