East Devon |

Ottery St Mary’s tar barrel tradition continues with thousands on the Devon town’s streets

Ottery St Mary’s traditional tar barrel event, where flaming barrels are passed from should to shoulder through the streets of the town attracted thousands again this bonfire night.

The tradition of barrel rolling has been going on in market town for more than 150 years.

Rollers carry flaming tar barrels shoulder high through the crowds before the fire burns out and can only take part if they are natives or have lived in Ottery for 15 years or more.

The event begins at 4pm, when the rollers as young as seven carry the lightest barrels. The barrels get progressively heavier as the night goes on with the heaviest barrels being rolled out at midnight.

NEWS UPDATE: Twelve people were injured after an ‘irresponsible idiot’ caused an explosion with one of the tar barrels. Read the Midweek Herald for more.





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