 Much of the development , and many of the buildings , were the vision of John Wood , the Elder . The Circus is seen as the pinnacle of Wood 's work . It consists of three long , curved terraces that form a circular space or theatre intended for civic functions and games . The games give a clue to the design , the inspiration for which was the Colosseum in Rome . The best known of Bath 's terraces is the Royal Crescent , built between 1767 and 1774 and designed by Wood 's son , John Wood , the Younger . Around 1770 the neoclassical architect Robert Adam designed Pulteney Bridge , a three @-@ arched bridge spanning the Avon . He used as his prototype an original , but unused , design by <unk> for the <unk> Bridge in Venice . The heart of the Georgian city was the <unk> Room , which together with its associated Lower Assembly Rooms was designed by Thomas Baldwin , a local builder responsible for many other buildings in the city , including the terraces in Argyle Street . Great Pulteney Street , where Baldwin eventually lived , is another of his works : this wide boulevard , constructed c . 1789 and over 1 @,@ 000 feet ( 305 m ) long and 100 feet ( 30 m ) wide , is lined on both sides by Georgian terraces . 
