Pulteney Bridge is a rarity. It is one of only four in the world lined by shops on both sides. It was built for William Pulteney, whose wife had inherited rural Bathwick across the river from Bath. Pulteney could see the potential for development, but first a ferry had to be replaced by a bridge. His architect Robert Adam favoured a Palladian design. The bridge has suffered so many changes that Adam would only recognise the south river front, yet it remains an architectural symbol of Bath.