Bleak House, Broadstairs facts for kids
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Bleak House is a famous house on a cliff in Broadstairs, Kent. It looks out over the sea and Viking Bay. The house was built around 1801 and was made much bigger in 1901. It was once called Fort House because it was used as a fort to watch ships along the coast.
The famous writer Charles Dickens stayed at Fort House for holidays in the 1850s and 1860s. He wrote his well-known book David Copperfield while he was there. People also say he wrote parts of his novel Bleak House at the house. This is why its name was changed to Bleak House in the early 1900s.
Today, Bleak House is a special old building. It is protected by law as a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important part of England's history.
History of Bleak House
Bleak House was first known as Fort House. It was the home of a captain who guarded Broadstairs. This town had two forts to protect its coast.
Charles Dickens and the House
Charles Dickens rented Fort House from the 1840s until 1852. It was in this house, high above the harbour, that he wrote his famous book David Copperfield.
Fort House got its new name, Bleak House, in the early 1900s. Someone claimed it was the house from Dickens' 1853 novel, Bleak House. The name stuck, even though people still debate if it's true. Some believe the real house from Dickens' novel is far from Broadstairs.
What is certain is that Dickens really loved this house. It was the home he "most desired" in Broadstairs, his favourite holiday spot. The famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was also a regular guest there.
In a book called Sophy Laurie, published in 1865, William Carew Hazlitt wrote about the house. He said: It is at Broadstairs they are staying; in the big, bleak house that stands alone on a peak of the chalk cliff, as if it were some sentinel set over the rovers up and down the sea.
For many years in the 20th century, Bleak House was used in two ways. It was partly a private home and partly a museum about Charles Dickens. In 2012, the owners opened it as a place for weddings and as a guest house. Since January 2021, it is a private home again. It is being restored to look like it did in the past.
Smuggling History
Broadstairs, like many towns along the English coast, was known for smuggling. This happened a lot in the 1700s and early 1800s. Smugglers would secretly bring goods into the country to avoid paying taxes. Today, Bleak House has a Smugglers Museum below its main rooms. This museum tells the story of these secret activities.
