On the first Friday of February after leaving St Edward’s Presbytery and dropping my sister off at Ramsgate Station I headed to the little seaside resort of Broadstairs. It’s practically part of Ramsgate but definitely a separate place. I liked very much what I saw. I’d always been intrigued by views of the town which show Charles Dickens’s Bleak House on a cliff looking out to sea. You can see it in the middle of the picture below. There are several Dickens connections in Broadstairs and I probably didn’t see all of them. At that early hour in the morning I was able to park easily near the sea front. As near as you can get by car, anyway. There are pleasant gardens and paths separating the beach from the road and the main streets and narrow lanes behind.
Broadstairs Beach
Bleak House, Broadstairs
Dickens Commemorated at Bleak House
There’s a Challenge? Probably the best afternoon tea in England!
“Charles Dickens lived here and wrote part of Barnaby Rudge, 1841”
“In this house lived the original of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, 1839”
Do you know The Clangers?
Their creator, Oliver Postgate lived here
Did you see “Chariots of Fire”? This sign is on the wall of a hotel facing the sea.
miladysboudoir 
Broadstairs is on our list for a day trip but having read this fascinating Blog, I realise we may need a long weekend to see everything. The famous mosaic artist Martin Cheek has his studio in Broadstairs. He is a brilliant and totally original artist and is a huge inspiration to all of us mosaic people. He was commissioned by Oliver Postgate’s widow to make that Clangers mosaic. Rosanna x
Fancy! I should have thought of you, Rosanna, when I took the picture. I think a stay at Broadstairs would make an excellent short break. I hope I can return one day at a bit warmer time of day.
Hope you didn’t miss Morelli’s famous ice-cream parlour, although perhaps it wasn’t the weather for knickerbocker glories.
Thank you for commenting here, Mary. In fact, I made a beeline for Morelli’s just to see what it looked like. I had only just eaten my breakfast – shortly after 9am so I had to resist ice cream but at any other time of day I would have indulged, regardless of the weather!
I will make sure I head to Morelli’s when we visit – it is never too cold for an ice cream indulgence! R.
Quite right, Rosanna!