This charming six-bedroom seaside home lies on West Cliff Road in Broadstairs, Kent. Spanning some 2,300 sq ft, the Edwardian interiors retain a wealth of original fixtures, including several fireplaces and marvellous cornicing. Under current ownership, sensitive interventions have been incorporated throughout, including parquet flooring to the ground and first floors, and an expansive kitchen dining space to the rear. A short stroll from the seafront, West Cliff Road is wonderfully located in the centre of Broadstairs, just a 10-minute walk from the station which connects to London St Pancras in around an hour and 20 minutes.

Setting the Scene

The rich cultural heritage of Broadstairs has been drawing people to the Kent coastline for many years. It was an important fishing port (and an infamous site for goods smuggling) in the 1700s, its broad coastline honeycombed with caves and tunnels around nearby Botany and Kingsgate bays. Broadstairs is home to Bleak House, a prominent residence on the cliff overlooking Viking Bay. Charles Dickens used to holiday at the house, writing his epic novel David Copperfield there.

The Grand Tour

Entry to the home is via a handsome Edwardian porch, with an original glazed door. A light-filled hallway lies ahead, which leads to the main reception spaces; to the front of a plan is a voluminous drawing room, with a bay window overlooking quiet West Cliff Road. The focal point of the room is a fine, original fireplace with a cast iron insert. The space has been finished in a moody blue by Farrow and Ball, and has parquet flooring underfoot.

To the rear of the plan is an expansive kitchen dining space. Lit on two sides by newly incorporated windows and a patio door, the room has been finished in bright, light off-white paint. At the centre of the space is a vast island, topped with hardy Treviso stone. Kitchen cabinets are painted in a neutral, creamy shade with nickel fixtures. Appliances are all integrated and there is a large Butler sink. There is space for a large dining table at the far end of the room—the perfect spot for entertaining.

Between the drawing room and kitchen is a cosy snug; ideal as a playroom or TV room, the space has a wonderful Scagliola fireplace and large sash window with shutters.

Ascending to the first floor, the front of the plan is home to the large principal bedroom. Occupying the whole width of the house, the space has a broad bay window flanked by shutters for privacy, as well as a separate French door leading to a balcony with a sea view. Finished in a neutral shade  of paint, the room also has a wonderful full-height original fire surround. Adjacent to the primary is a secondary bedroom which is currently used as a dressing room. Finished in a dusky pink, the space has an original fitted cupboard, tiled fireplace and bespoke shelving.

At the rear of the plan is a third bedroom overlooking the quiet garden. Next to this sits the large family bathroom, clad in white tiles with parquet flooring underfoot. The room has a roll top bath, separate shower, vanity and WC. There is also a separate guest WC with vanity in the adjacent room.

The top floor of the house is home to a further three bedrooms. Finished in dusky, natural shades, the rooms all have dormer windows overlooking the front and rear of the house. There is also a guest shower room with separate vanity and WC.

The Great Outdoors

The garden can be accessed directly via the kitchen, or through a private alley entrance which runs along the side of the house. Paved with York flagstones, the space is a perfect suntrap for entertaining in warmer months. At the rear of the garden, there is a large private garage which can be accessed via residential drive running behind West Cliff Road.

Out and About

In recent years, Broadstairs has enjoyed a palpable resurgence and is now home to a thriving community of independent shops and restaurants, including the revered, Michelin-Star restaurant Stark, seafood specialist Twenty Seven Harbour Street and The Funicular Coffee Shop, which is built into the old ticket office of a long-decommissioned clifftop funicular. The old town itself remains a haven of antique shops, cafés and traditional Kentish pubs. Morelli’s ice cream parlour is a wonderfully eccentric establishment on the seafront.

Nearby Margate is experiencing an extraordinary period of change; an influx of young creatives have been setting up in the town, including Liddicoat & Goldhill, the architects behind Maker’s House, and the internationally renowned Turner Contemporary art gallery, as well as the recently-restored Dreamland. These businesses and many more like them have helped to create a thriving art, food and music scene. Much-loved Whitstable and Ramsgate are also within easy reach, as is historic Canterbury.

Broadstairs has a mainline railway station providing services to London St Pancras in approximately one hour and 20 minutes, and there are good road links to London and the rest of Kent via the motorway network. There is easy access to the Eurostar from nearby Folkestone.

Council Tax Band: D