Bleak House
Bleak House, Fort Road
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1239493
- Date first listed:
- 20-Sept-1974
- List Entry Name:
- Bleak House
- Statutory Address:
- Bleak House, Fort Road
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-07-25
- Reference:
- IOE01/08256/15
- Rights:
- © Mrs Jenny Walters. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1239493
- Date first listed:
- 20-Sept-1974
- List Entry Name:
- Bleak House
- Statutory Address 1:
- Bleak House, Fort Road
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Bleak House, Fort Road
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Thanet (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Broadstairs and St. Peters
- National Grid Reference:
- TR 39934 67939
Details
This list entry was subjec to a Minor Amendment on 23 March 2022 to correct error in description and to reformat the text to current standards
TR 3967 NE
1/98
FORT ROAD
BROADSTAIRS
Bleak House
II
The core is early C19 but this was refronted and extended in 1901. The house was originally known as 'Fort House' as it was built as the residence of the Fort Captain during the Napoleonic Wars. This was one of Charles Dickens' favourite lodging houses during the summer months and here he wrote 'David Copperfield' in 1849 and planned 'Bleak House, though the 'Bleak House' of the novel is a completely fictitious building and this building was renamed many years after the book was published.
Two to three storeys and basement brown brick. The right hand portion of three storeys is the original building. Crenellated parapet. Two altered mullioned and transomed windows with hood moulding to the older part and J mullioned and transomed windows, including a five-light bay running through two storeys to the addition of 1901. The original door to the older wing has been blocked in to form a window and the original bow window recased and crenellated. Brick porch to modern wing with crenellated parapet and arched opening with hood moulding. The interior has been arranged as a Dickens Museum. The mahogany staircase and some fireplaces are original. Grade II for Dickens associations.
Listing NGR: TR3993467939
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 417381
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 03-Jul-2026 at 21:43:24.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.