Diary 31 January, 1944:
"I came to Chagford with the intention of starting on an ambitious novel tomorrow morning. I still have a cold and am low in spirits but I feel full of literary power which only this evening gives place to qualms of impotence."
Evelyn Waugh had Easton Court recommended by his brother Alec, who had discovered it earlier whilst touring the west country, and had stayed here when writing his own novels, such as "Thirteen Such Years".
Evelyn started writing his novels in the peace and tranquility of the hotel as early as 1931, when he stayed here to work on his articles, short stories and books. He returned to the hotel again in 1932 and finished "Black Mischief" here, and in 1934 where he completed his book "A Handful of Ashes", which was later renamed as "A Handful of Dust".
In 1944, he was given the middle lounge as a private sitting room which he could use exclusively for his work, but he writes in his diary that "the fire smokes so badly that I must choose between freezing and going blind".
He stayed at the hotel between February and June 1944 writing "Brideshead Revisited", and a footnote to the completed manuscript reads:
"To say that the Easton Court Hotel played a great role in the life of Evelyn Waugh would be to understate the truth. More accurately, it was part author of the novels. It presents a record of work well done in a congenial atmosphere. Other artists would agree, for the guest book is signed by such illustrious names as John Betjeman, John Gielgud, Dr Margaret Meade, Ralph Richardson, C.P. Snow and John Steinbeck.
The temptation is to think that one need only repair to the Easton Court Hotel for the words to pile up. While the proprietors do not guarantee that their guests will produce novels of distinction, they do promise a charming Tudor house in a gorgeous country spot which serves as an excellent centre from which to explore Dartmoor in Devon. And at the very least, the guest may write a postcard or two telling of a memorable holiday experience."
