LONDON ? The former seaside home of British writer Charles Dickens, where he wrote part of the novel "David Copperfield", has gone on sale for ?2 million, an estate agent said Monday.

The cliffside house in Broadstairs, in the southern English county of Kent, was built in 1801 and has six bedrooms, and is on the market for ?2.2 million, or $3 million.

It was built as the residence of the fort captain during the Napoleonic Wars and originally named "Fort House", the estate agent said, but this was later changed to "Bleak House" -- the name of one of Dickens' most famous novel.

He is thought to have planned that novel at the house, and is also said to have written parts of "David Copperfield" in its study overlooking the sea.

The house has been refurbished and boasts a gym along with prison cells and a museum on the ground floor.

"It is an iconic building for Broadstairs and is a landmark within the town, with some of the best views," said a spokesman for estate agents Terence Painter Properties.