Berkeley Square, Bristol facts for kids
East side
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 Location in Bristol
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| Location | Clifton, Bristol, England |
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| Coordinates | 51°27′19″N 2°36′21″W / 51.455204°N 2.605816°W |
Berkeley Square is a beautiful area in the Clifton part of Bristol, England. It is very close to Park Street. This square features elegant buildings and a lovely central garden with railings.
It was designed around 1790 by Thomas and William Paty. They built it in the Georgian style, which was popular at the time. During World War II, some buildings (numbers 12-18) were damaged. They were rebuilt to look exactly like the original ones.
Today, many buildings in Berkeley Square belong to the University of Bristol. These include important research centers. Other buildings are now hotels or offices. One building, number 24, was even used in a BBC television show called The House of Eliott.
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Famous People Who Lived Here
Some interesting people have lived in Berkeley Square over the years.
Sir Frank William Wills
Sir Frank William Wills (1852–1932) lived at numbers 15/16 Berkeley Square. This building is now The Berkeley Square Hotel. He was part of the famous WD & HO Wills tobacco family. Sir Frank also served as the Lord Mayor of Bristol in 1911. This means he was the main leader of the city at that time.
Thomas Daniel
Thomas Daniel (merchant) (1762–1854) lived at number 20 Berkeley Square. He moved there in the early 1800s and stayed until he passed away. Thomas Daniel was a very successful sugar merchant. People called him the 'King of Bristol' because he was so important in the city for over 50 years. His former home is now the University and Literary Club.
Building Style
Many buildings in Berkeley Square are very old and special. They have a "Grade II* listed building" status. This means they are protected because of their historical or architectural importance.
- Numbers 1-8
- Numbers 11-19
- Numbers 20-30
The High Cross Statue
In the gardens of Berkeley Square, you can see a special statue. It is a copy, or replica, of the Bristol High Cross. The original High Cross was first put up in Bristol in 1373. It honored different British kings and queens.
The original cross was moved to College Green in 1733. Later, in 1768, it was given to the Stourhead gardens, where you can still see it today.
The statue in Berkeley Square is a replica made by John Norton in 1851. This replica was also once on College Green. It was moved in the late 1940s. In 1950, the Bristol Civic Society bought the remaining parts of the replica. They put it back together in Berkeley Square, where it stands today.
