Pulteney Bridge

Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon in Bath, England. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with land in Bathwick which the Pulteney family wished to develop. Designed by Robert Adam in a Palladian style, it is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. The bridge is named after Frances Pulteney, wife of the Scottish lawyer and politician Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet. Frances was a first cousin once removed of William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath. She inherited the Earl's substantial fortune in Somerset after his death in 1764. The rural Bathwick estate, which Frances and William inherited in 1767, was across the river from the city and could be reached only by ferry. William made plans to create a new town, which would become a suburb to the historic city of Bath, but first he needed a better river crossing.

Background

The bridge is named after Frances Pulteney, wife of Sir William Pultney. He was a wealthy Scottish lawyer and Member of Parliament (MP). Frances was the third daughter of MP and government official Daniel Pulteney (1684–1731) and first cousin once removed of William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath. She inherited the earl's substantial fortune and estates close to Bath in Somerset after his death in 1764 and that of his younger brother and heir in 1767, and the Johnstones changed their surname to Pulteney. The rural Bathwick estate, which Frances and William inherited in 1767, was across the river from the city and could be reached only by ferry. William made plans to create a new town, which would become a suburb to the historic city of Bath, but first he needed a better river crossing. and Henrietta Street and Laura Place there, named after their daughter Henrietta Laura Johnstone. ==Design and construction==

Design and construction

in 1785Pulteney Bridge was designed by Robert Adam, whose original drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum in London. It is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides, the others being Ponte Vecchio in Florence and Rialto in Venice, and the Krämerbrücke in Erfurt, Germany. Initial plans for the bridge were drawn up by Thomas Paty, who estimated it would cost £4,569 to build, without the shops. A second estimate of £2,389 was obtained from local builders John Lowther and Richard Reed; it included two shops at each end of the bridge, but work neither design began before winter weather made construction of the pillars impossible. In 1770 the brothers Robert and James Adam, who were working on designs for the new town at Bathwick, adapted Paty's original design. The builders for the lower part of the bridge were local masons Reed and Lowther; the shops were constructed by Singers and Lankeshere. == Development ==

Development

Pulteney Bridge stood for less than 20 years in the form that Adam created. In 1792 alterations were made during which the bridge was widened to and the shops enlarged, converting the original sixteen shops into six larger ones. Further work was carried out in the 1960s to repair the underside soffits of all three arches. More restoration of the southern street façade was needed in 1975. but the plan was abandoned in September 2011. It however remains a large source of income for the council, due to it being the most fined bus lane in the city. == Architecture ==

Architecture

The bridge features a narrow street flanked by two full length rows of shops designed in the Palladian style c. 1770. All sit above three segmental arches of equal span. The shops on the north side have cantilevered rear extensions. Consequently, the northern external façade of the bridge is asymmetrical, much altered and of no architectural merit, was constructed between 1968 and 1972 as part of a flood-prevention scheme. Further restoration was undertaken in 1975. == Gallery ==

Gallery

File:Bath England 0400 09.jpg|Pulteney Bridge in 2024 File:Bath Weir (1) 2025-07-23.jpg|Weir near Pulteney Bridge in 2025 File:Pulteney Bridge (view from the north side).jpg|Cantilevered extensions on the north face File:Shops on Pulteney Bridge.JPG|Shops on the north side ==See also==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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