Pulteney Bridge, Bath

Built in 1774, the Pulteney Bridge crosses the River Avon in Bath. Originally built to connect the Pulteney family to the city, the bridge is renowned for shops lining both sides of the Palladian design, making it one of only four bridges in the world to have such a feature. Pulteney Bridge was designed by Robert Adam, a neoclassical architect from Scotland. The man it was named after, Frances Pulteney, was a lawyer and even a member of parliament. In total, the construction cost £11,000 (1,960,092 of 2022's currency). Even by today’s standards, this is remarkably cheap, especially when you consider the average house price in Bath stands at a whopping £609,000!

The bridge was rebuilt by John Pinch, a local architect, who worked against the suggestions of Thomas Telford to replace the limestone with cast iron, and instead rebuilt Robert Adam’s design with small alterations required to make the workload less ambitious. And we were lucky he did; for in 1936 Pulteney Bridge was designated an ancient monument due to its cultural heritage (later to be replaced in 1955 as a Grade I listed building).

A truly fascinating piece of history, Pulteney Bridge is a must visit if visiting the beautiful city of Bath. Maybe see Pulteney Bridge as part of a tour of Bath.