10/04/2006

Dickens' house damaged in blaze

Fire has badly damaged Bleak House, the former home of writer Charles Dickens, in Kent.

Firefighters were called to the house at 2126 BST on Sunday night. The fire is understood to have begun in a bedroom and caused damage to a snooker room located below.

Firefighters managed to salvage furniture, pictures and other items from the snooker room.

The hilltop house, which takes its name from Dickens' famous novel, is now privately owned. No one was injured in the fire as the family who lives there were not at home at the time.

The Charles Dickens Museum, which is located elsewhere on the premises, was not affected by the fire.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service said that the cause of the fire remained uncertain, but it was not thought to be suspicious.

Bleak House was built in 1801 and was originally called Fort House as the captain of the fort which stood in front of it lived there.

Dickens wrote his famous novel 'David Copperfield' at Bleak House.

(KMcA)

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