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History of Tar Barrel Rolling in Ottery St Mary

8th October 2020

Categories: Visitor News

Image: @tim.taphouse // Instagram

It is with great sadness that we reported that this year’s annual Tar Barrel Rolling and Carnival in Ottery St Mary has had to take a break because of the ongoing issues surrounding the pandemic. As we won’t be able to enjoy the Tar Barrels in person this year, we thought we’d delve into the history of this ancient custom and celebrate it from home.

Firstly, what is tar barrel rolling?
Well, basically, it is when large barrels are set alight and then rolled through the streets as part of bonfire night celebrations. The burning of barrels and holding celebrations involving fire at this time of year has been a tradition in the west country for years, with the practice dying out everywhere but in Ottery St Mary. At some point, the barrels stopped being rolled and started being carried on shoulders instead, but with safety in mind. Of course.

Now you know a bit more about what tar barrel rolling is, let’s look at how the tradition started.

Ok, so historians are unsure as to when the actual tradition of Tar Barrel Rolling and fire processions began, but it is likely to have started when the rest of the UK started marking Bonfire Night following the gunpowder plot in 1605. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Britain in 1605 wasn’t a great place to be if you happened to be Catholic and so a group of Catholics decided to take a stand by coming up with a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament while the king (who was the main perpatrator of the anti-Catholic sentiment) was there. The plot was foiled and those behind it imprisoned or killed, the most famous being Guy Fawkes, who was imprisoned and tortured in the Tower of London. After news of the plot spread around the UK, communities all over started celebrating on 5^th November every year with their own bonfires, burning of barrels and of course, the burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes. The tradition has existed ever since.

While this is one explanation, other historians have suggested that tar barrel rolling might have started out as a way to fumigate cottages or even as a way to warn against the Spanish Armada. Whatever the actual reason, it seems to have started around the 1600s.

These days, Ottery St Mary is the only town left in the UK where members of the community carry full sized lighted tar barrels through the streets and the celebration is accompanied by the town’s carnival and firework display, which is always celebrated on or around the 5^th November. Each year hundreds of pounds are raised for local causes and visitors from all over flock to Ottery St Mary to witness the spectacle.

The giant bonfire is the centre piece for celebrations and has been present at a number of locations through the years, it spans almost 50ft in width! Usually the bonfire is lit at St Saviours Meadow and this is where next year’s event is planned to take place.

You can find out more about the tradition of Tar Barrel Rolling and see video of previous events online here https://www.tarbarrels.co.uk/. Why not settle down somewhere warm on 5^th November and watch footage of the event and get excited for next year? We’re certainly looking forward to it!