Dickens's Bleak House up for sale

Dickens is said to have planned Bleak House at the property

The former Kent seaside home of Charles Dickens, where the author wrote part of his novel David Copperfield, has been put on the market for £2m.

The six-bedroom Grade II listed property in Broadstairs was built in 1801 and is currently owned by businessman Richard Hilton.

Dickens is said to have favoured it as a summer residence and is believed to have planned Bleak House there.

The estate agent said the house had retained many of its original features.

Terence Painter Properties said the building had undergone extensive renovation - including a Dickens museum on the lower ground floor, with prison cells.

It said the property, now called Bleak House, was originally known as Fort House and was constructed as the residence of the fort captain during the Napoleonic Wars.

A spokesman for estate agent said: "It is an iconic building for Broadstairs and is a landmark within the town, with some of the best views in Broadstairs."