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Heritage and Gardens

Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels

Townsfolk hoist barrels soaked in tar and set alight onto their shoulders and run them flaming through packed Devon streets on bonfire night, a roaring, slightly terrifying inheritance passed down through local families.

5 Nov 2026
Ottery St Mary, Devon, England
Villagly Award
Fieriest Night in the UK
Villagers carry flaming barrels of tar on their shoulders through packed streets after dark. Centuries old, gloriously unsafe.
✦ Weird & Wonderful
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