One of only four bridges in the world that have shops lining either side, Pulteney Bridge has fascinated people for three centuries as an unusual place to construct a shopping center.
When Frances Pulteney inherited the Bathwick estate, it was situated across the river from the city of Bath and had to be reached by ferry. Pulteney immediately had a bridge built to more easily access her inheritance and transform the land into a new town. The bridge was completed in 1774 at 50 feet (15 metres) wide, but was later widened to 58 feet (18 metres) to allow for larger shops.
When floods in 1799 and 1800 ruined part of the north side of the bridge, a weir was built in the river. Weirs are step-like schemes that allow water to cascade to a lower level to prevent flooding. The Pulteney weir was used in the film Les Miserables as the scene for Javert’s suicide.