Everything about Ottery St Mary totally explained
Ottery St Mary, known locally as just "Ottery" (pronounced ɒtərɪ or, more colloquially, ɒtrɪ), is a town in the
East Devon district of
Devon,
England, on the
River Otter, about ten miles east of
Exeter on the B3174. It is part of a large
civil parish of the same name, which also covers the villages of
West Hill,
Metcombe,
Fairmile,
Alfington,
Tipton St John and
Wiggaton.
The town was the birthplace of
Samuel Taylor Coleridge and where the noted diplomat Sir
Ernest Satow spent his retirement (1906-29) at the house called 'Beaumont' which still stands. Satow was buried in the churchyard; there's a commemorative plaque to him is in the church.
Ottery's notable buildings include the
Tumbling Weir and Ottery St Mary church. The town is the site of
The King's School, now a
comprehensive school
, founded in 1545 by Henry VIII, a former
grammar school.
Tar Barrels
Major events are held in Ottery near the 5th November -
Guy Fawkes Night, when flaming tar barrels are carried through the town. A 17th century tradition, barrels soaked in tar are set alight and carried aloft through parts of the town.
The festivities begin in the early evening with the children's, youths' and women's events, culminating in the men's event later in the night. A total of seventeen barrels are lit outside each of seventeen pubs in Ottery. The barrels increase in size up to 30kg and are carried through a packed town centre. It is an exhilarating and risky spectacle to watch, indeed, in recent years it has nearly been called off, due to increasing public liability insurance cover. Only those born in Ottery, or who have lived in the town for most of their lives, may carry a barrel. Generations of the same family have been known to compete across the years. It is thought that the event is to ward off evil spirits and is similar to other British fire festivals.
Pixie Day is another old tradition that takes place annually on a Saturday in June. The day commemorates the age old legend of Ottery St Mary's infamous 'Pixies' being banished from the town (where they caused havoc) to the local caves known as 'Pixie's Parlour'.
One mile to the north-west of the town is the Elizabethan Manor House of
Cadhay.
Interesting Facts
- An inhabitant of Ottery St Mary is an "Ottregian".
- There is a hymn tune called Ottery St Mary by Henry Ley (1887-1962)
- J K Rowling named the fictional home village of the Weasley family in the Harry Potter series 'Ottery St Catchpole' after Ottery St Mary.
Church
Ottery St Mary Church was built in
1280 then rebuilt in
1337 by
Bishop John Grandisson, imitating
Exeter Cathedral (although unconfirmed data have emerged which may disprove this). The great Ottery Clock in the south
transept is one of a group of famous 14th to 16th century
astronomical clocks to be found in the West of England (See also
Salisbury,
Wells,
Exeter,
and
Wimborne Minster),and is one of only four pre-
Copernican clocks in the country.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ottery St Mary'.
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