pulteney bridge - new.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 09:52 Page 1
Four of a kind
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city steeped in rich history, Bath is home to stunning examples of Georgian architecture. Standing at the heart of it is an iconic structure exuding beauty and vitality in equal measure. Pulteney Bridge is admired for its sheer elegance and valued as a rarity in its own right. With only four of its kind existing in the world, Pulteney Bridge sits in fine company with Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, Venice’s Rialto Bridge and Erfurt’s Krämerbrücke in central Germany. The common, but seemingly golden, feature that ties the four designs is the row of shops that line the structures across their full span. Due to this unique quality, the bridges are treasured marvels in their respective countries and attract millions of visitors each year. Bath’s Pulteney Bridge, completed in 1774, was designed by renowned architect Robert Adam. His intricate design has gone down in history as one of the unqualified successes of English Palladianism. To this 50 TheBATHMagazine
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aPRiL 2021
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day, the bridge unquestionably injects a sense of pride into the city. But how much do we really know about the Grade I-listed masterpiece?
The Pulteneys We start with the family from which the bridge takes its name – the Pulteneys. The idea of bridging the gap between Bath and Bathwick first came to light when Frances Pulteney inherited the family’s fortune and acquired the 600-acre Bathwick estate in October 1767. It had been passed down from her first cousin once removed, William Pulteney – the first Earl of Bath – to his brother, General Henry Pulteney, and then to Frances, as the General died childless just three years after acquiring it. Up until 1767, Bathwick had been a rural parish. The River Avon separated the estate from the city and a ferry was the only way to travel between the two. Bathwick’s potential, however, was clear to see. As Bath continued to grow
exponentially during the 18th century, Bathwick became an increasingly attractive piece of land to anyone who had a developer’s eye. When Frances inherited the estate in 1767, her husband – Edinburgh lawyer and politician, Sir William Pulteney, known as William Johnstone until his marriage to Frances – was eager to reap the monetary rewards that would come with a new, bustling suburb of an already lucrative city. At the time, Pulteney was reputedly the wealthiest man in Britain, profiting from slave plantations in North America and investing in building developments in Bath and beyond. It became apparent that if the Pulteneys were going to financially benefit from the estate, a connection to the city needed to be established. Just four months after the General died, Pulteney began conferring with Bath City Council and Bath Corporation about his proposals to build a bridge.
Main image: AdobeStock.com
The style and grace of Pulteney Bridge has been enticing visitors to Bath’s riverbanks for over two centuries. As residents, we cherish it – but how much do we really know about it? Millie Bruce-Watt looks back at its history
