Bleak House

Bleak House – an 1876, two-storey house that lost a storey, moving to South St in 1927 and later moved again, only to gain a storey again.

Bleak House was built in 1876 by James Foote. It originally stood in what was then Newtown, now Eastern Heights.

James Foote worked at Cribb and Foote before starting a grocery store and later an ironmongery.  He was mayor of Ipswich from 1870-71 and a member of parliament for three local electorates. After his death in 1895 his nephew Henry Smart Cribb, Harry Cribb as he was known, bought the house and land from the estate.

He was a partner and eventually sole owner of Cribb and Foote. He was a noted sportsman and was able to pursue his love of breeding trotting horses, both at Bleak House and his other properties.

In 1926 Harry’s brother James died and Harry bought “Garowie” in Whitehill Road and moved there.

The grounds of Bleak House were subdivided and sold as “Cribb Estate” and the house sold for removal. The top storey was demolished, the roof and top railings brought down to the one level and the house was moved to South Street.

In 1986 the house was sold for removal and contrary to the wishes of the National Trust and council but through no fault of the new owners, moved to Camp Mountain, near Samford. The present owners have lavished care on its restoration and built a second storey underneath, using heritage materials.