Bath - Pulteney Bridge

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Pulteney Bridge crosses the River Avon in Bath. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family which they wished to develop. Designed by Robert Adam in a Palladian style, it is exceptional in having shops built across its full span on both sides. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. Within 20 years of its construction, alterations were made that expanded the shops and changed the façades. By the end of the 18th century it had been damaged by floods, but it was rebuilt to a similar design. Over the next century alterations to the shops included cantilevered extensions on the bridge's north face. In the 20th century several schemes were carried out to preserve the bridge and partially return it to its original appearance, enhancing its appeal as a tourist attraction. One of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides, the structure was designed by Robert Adam his original drawings are preserved in the Sir John Soane's Museum in London. Pulteney Weir The 1603 map of Bath by Savile shows a weir on the River Avon to the east of the Abbey. On the west (Abbey) bank is shown 'The Monks Mill' and on the opposite bank 'Bathewick mill'  The weir ran diagonally across the river to the Bathwick Mill, which would have been where the leftmost tree now stands. The purpose of the weir was to provide a difference in river level ( a 'head' of water) that would drive the water wheels used to power the mills. For centuries Bath had suffered from the River Avon flooding - even the Romans had to raise the level of some of their baths complex to alleviate the problem.  In the early 1970's the weir was rebuilt in its current 'V' shape with an associated flood control gate (sluice) on the east side of the river. This camera was installed and is maintained by the Environment Agency and can be viewed here All  content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0.  Pulteney Weir and Sluice was opened on 2nd June 1972. The weir and sluice are part of the Bath Flood Prevention Scheme designed and carried out by the Bristol and Avon River Authority under the direction of the engineer to the Authority Frank Greenhalgh