Pulteney Bridge

Pulteney Bridge crosses the River Avon in the centre of Bath. Designed by Robert Adam in the 18th century, it carries a continuous row of shops on both sides. Only three other bridges in the world share this feature. The limestone façade on the south side still shows Adam’s Palladian design with a central temple-like bay and symmetrical wings. The bridge was built to connect Bath with the Bathwick estate across the river. Sir William Pulteney and his wife Frances inherited the estate in 1767 and needed a better crossing than the ferry. Adam’s design was inspired by Italian bridges he had seen, creating an elegant shopping street above the water. Floods in 1799 and 1800 damaged the north side, which was rebuilt in a simpler form. Visitors walk along a narrow street lined with small shops under a pitched slate roof. The southern façade displays Doric pilasters and a large Palladian window above three equal arches. Below, ocular windows light the sub-floor spaces between the arches. The bridge remains open to buses and taxis, but its weir and classical lines make it one of Bath’s most photographed sights.