Ottery St Mary is the English town famous for burning and carrying flaming tar barrels during its Bonfire Night tradition.
The Devon town holds an annual event on 5 November in which participants carry blazing tar barrels on their shoulders through the streets. The custom is associated with several local barrel-running groups and has become one of the most distinctive surviving Bonfire Night traditions in England.
The barrels are traditionally wooden and are prepared with tar before being set alight. Carriers lift them onto their shoulders and run through the town, while spectators gather along the routes. The event is separate from ordinary garden bonfires and organised fireworks displays.
Ottery St Mary is sometimes confused with Lewes, another famous Bonfire Night centre. Lewes is known for large processions, societies and political effigies, whereas Ottery is especially identified with its flaming tar barrels. Both traditions are rooted in the wider 5 November commemoration.