Great Pulteney Street

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Great Pulteney Street is a grand boulevard that that joins Pulteney Bridge to the eastern side of Bath.

Commissioned by Sir William Pulteney, it was designed by the architect Thomas Baldwin and completed in 1789. The council wanted to expand the boundaries of the City, and Sir William's estate was conveniently situated just over the other side of the River Avon.

At over 1000 feet long and 100 feet wide, the road itself is the widest and grandest in Bath. The architect only constructed the façade though - developers acquired plots and built the actual structures behind. This means that, although obviously similar, many of the properties have different internal features, and some large stretches were used to build hotels.

It was intended that, along with the access provided by Pulteney Bridge, the eastern side of the Avon would be popular with speculators and developers. This appears not to have been the case - no further developments were made on this scale, and one of the side streets off Great Pulteney Street is the shortest street in town, with only one address.