Grass sinks below the surrounding ground here, the Sunken Garden, heart of the Old Campus at William & Mary. This long stretch of grass—about 2.7 acres (1.1 ha)—lies lower than the surrounding ground and runs west from the rear of the Wren Building to Crim Dell pond. It is very popular with students who want to study outside or play games like Ultimate; functionally it is similar to a university quadrangle.
The Sunken Garden was first designed by College Architect Charles M. Robinson, who worked closely with J.A.C. Chandler from 1919 to 1923. Their design was reportedly based on the works of Christopher Wren seen in England, especially his work at Chelsea Hospital. The plan for a sunken garden on campus is first mentioned in correspondence between J.A.C. Chandler and Charles F. Gillette in October 1923.
Later, the plan to omit the Sunken Garden as included in Gillette’s building plans appears in the Board of Visitors minutes on February 12, 1924, and the Board of Visitors was concerned that Gillette's landscape plan would call for an expenditure. Students play Ultimate on this lawn today, on a plan Charles M. Robinson drew from Christopher Wren's work at Chelsea Hospital.