Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels

A 17th-century tradition to rid the streets of evil spirits is revived every year as fearless men, women and children run through Ottery St Mary carrying blazing tar barrels. Thousands of spectators enjoy the thrill of avoiding the runners.

Having been soaked in tar, the barrels are set ablaze. Flames ten feet high lick the sky as sweating locals stagger beneath their weight. As one man tires, his brother, father or even grandfather steps in and takes over the burning load, continuing until past midnight.

This is a truly exhilarating event - running away requires considerable mobility and provides a thrill unlike any other, as a seemingly impenetrable sea of people miraculously parts to allow the burning barrels through.

One can only wonder how this spectacular festival must have caught the imagination of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who was born in the town in October 1772. Perhaps it was a nascent memory of the great poet's which led him to write this refrain in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

"About, about, in reel and rout
The death-fires danced at night;
The water, like a witch's oils,
Burnt green, and blue and white."

Related Information

Website: Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels Website