Our thanks go to Jim
Utting for bringing the Thomas Hardy connection to light.
Inside the covers of most
volumes of Thomas Hardy's Wessex novels is a map of Wessex with the intriguing entry ‘Prospect Hotel’ situated
to the east of Cliff Martin (Combe Martin) at exactly the same location as the Hunters’ Inn, Heddon Valley. It is when
reading the last story, Dame the Tenth – The Honourable Laura, in the book of short stories ‘A Group of Notable
Dames’ that the Prospect Hotel surfaces. From the description there can be no doubt that the ‘Prospect Hotel’
and the ‘Hunters’ Inn’ are one in the same. Strengthen even more by the similarity in name Prospect/Hunters
and research carried out by Pitkin many years ago.
Judge for yourself by visiting the attached link below and by reading the opening paragraphs of the story. Better still come and visit and experience the ‘Prospect
Hotel’ first hand. 
