Up on the hill overlooking The North Foreland and Viking Bay stands Bleak House which was formerly know as Fort House for obvious reasons. As you look at the picture, the upstairs window on the extreme right of the building, is the study in which Charles Dickens use to write when he was in residence at Broadstairs. It was at his desk in this room where he finished his book David Copperfield. When I was last there with my children I had my son sit in his chair in the hope that some of the genius would rub off - it didn't! Immediately below the house and facing the habour, you will see a building with a rounded arch over the door which is the "pub", The Tartar Frigate. It was in this inn that Dickens would chat with the local "fishermen" and smoke a pipe of tobacco. You will find more information about this part of Broadstairs in the section on places in Kent.

Slightly up the hill to the left of the Tartar Frigate has to be one of the smallest cinemas in England. Obviously, not as old as some of its surroundings, it has some older features such as curtains that are still opened on chains and the whole establishment is family run.

Broadstairs was originally known as Bradstowe and a broad lane down to the seashore is said to have been defended by a portcullis as was Kingsgate just around the coast. The cliffs and other seafront areas are meant to be riddled with caves and tunnels used by smugglers but I have no additional information to add on this aspect of the Town. It is something I still have to look into. The Parish Church of Holy Trinity stands on the top of the cliffs slightly back into the Town. During my many visits here I have never been to this Church but suspect it to be of Victorian construction particularly as it's records seem to date from 1850. Like the other towns around this part of the coast, Broadstairs came to prominence when the Victorians, Dickens amongst them, started their love affair with seaside holidays. Prior to this, Broadstairs would have been nothing more than a small fishing village where, I am sure, they would have caught large quantities of the excellent local plaice.

When the Town was still known as Bradstowe, there was a holy shrine of the Virgin here. I do not know where this shrine was meant to be but the sisters that legend tells were wrecked off the coast at Relculver were supposedly travelling to this shrine to give thenks when their ship was caught in a storm.

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