Ottery St. Mary celebrates the return of Tar Barrels
By Kate Baxter
11th Nov 2021 | Local News
On Friday 5 November, Ottery St. Mary enjoyed the return of its most famous tradition, Tar Barrels.
The pandemic has meant that the festival has not taken place since 2019, which led to larger than usual crowds.
The Tar Barrels tradition involves each of Ottery's public houses sponsoring a barrel, which are then soaked in tar and set alight. Once the flames are pouring out of the barrel, they are carried on local people's shoulders through the town.
Seventeen barrels are lit in total, getting progressively heavier throughout the evening. Crowds of up to 15,000 people assemble to watch the annual spectacle which attracts tourists and locals alike.
The Tar Barrel tradition is hundreds of years old, but the exact reason it started is unclear. Possible explanations include fumigation of cottages, warning of the approach of the Spanish armada or it could be that they started in the aftermath of The Gunpowder Plot.
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