Bleak House, Broadstairs Bleak House, Broadstairs Bleak House (originally known as Fort House) is a prominent house on the cliff overlooking the North Foreland and Viking Bay in Broadstairs, Kent. It was built around 1801 and then substantially extended, doubling in size, in 1901. The house was the site of the North Cliff Battery and was used as a coastal station for observing maritime activity. The house is Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England. Bleak House was originally called Fort House and was the residence of a captain of one of the two coastal forts guarding Broadstairs, the town
Broadstairs fresh sea air, many convalescent homes for children opened towards the end of the 19th century. Although numerous holidaymakers were attracted to Broadstairs and to other Thanet seaside towns during the Victorian era, it was not directly served by the railways until 1863. This was a time of great expansion for railways in the South East; in 1860 Victoria Station had been completed, followed by Charing Cross and Cannon Street. Rail access to Broadstairs had previously relied heavily upon coach links to other railway stations in the district or region; with firms such as "Bradstowe Coachmasters", operated by William Sackett