A small market town with a superb 14th-century parish church modelled after Exeter Cathedral, Ottery St Mary has been settled since the time of Edward the Confessor. The mechanical medieval clock still strikes the hours.
In 1688 William of Orange stayed here while on his way to London to be crowned William III of England. Author Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in the vicarage here in 1772.
Ottery St Mary is famous for the ancient ceremony of the Flaming Tar Barrels. Every November 5 lit barrels of tar are carried through the streets of the town in a rite whose origins are lost in the mists of time.
About Ottery St Mary
Address: Ottery St Mary, Devon, England
Attraction Type: Town
Location map
OS: SY107952
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express
HERITAGE
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Historic Time Periods:
Find other attractions tagged with:
14th century (Time Period) - Edward the Confessor (Person) - London () - Mary I (Person) - Medieval (Time Period) - William I (Person) - William II (Person) - William II (Person)
NEARBY HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low to exceptional) on historic interest
Ottery St Mary Church - 0.5 miles (Historic Church) 
Cadhay - 1.3 miles (Historic House)
Escot Park & Gardens - 2.3 miles (Garden) 
Gittisham, St Michael's Church - 2.5 miles (Historic Church) 
Sidbury, St Giles Church - 3 miles (Historic Church)
Sand - 3 miles (Historic House)
Farway, St Michael & All Angels Church - 4.1 miles (Historic Church)
Salcombe Regis, St Mary & St Peter's Church - 4.7 miles (Historic Church)
Nearest Holiday Cottages to Ottery St Mary:
