Things to Do in Ottery St Mary, Devon: A Complete Visitor Guide

Ottery St Mary is a small market town on the River Otter in East Devon, about ten miles east of Exeter and six miles north of Sidmouth. It’s best known for the Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels, one of Britain’s most famous Bonfire Night traditions, and as the birthplace of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. There are plenty of things to do and places to visit in Ottery St Mary, from historic buildings and riverside walks to independent shops, cafés and pubs. The town has a strong community feel and makes an excellent base for exploring the East Devon countryside, gardens and the Jurassic Coast. Read on to discover the best things to do in Ottery St Mary.

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Map of Ottery St Mary, England

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The History of Ottery St Mary

Early Settlement and Prehistoric Roots

Long before the town of Ottery St Mary took shape, people were already drawn to the fertile valley of the River Otter. Flint tools, early field systems and crop marks discovered on the surrounding hills show that the area was settled in prehistoric times. The valley’s rich alluvial soil, freshwater springs and sheltered slopes provided the essentials for early farming communities, who left behind traces of roundhouses and worked flints dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

During the Roman occupation of Britain, the Otter Valley remained an active agricultural corridor. Pottery fragments, building materials and evidence of villas have been found nearby, suggesting small farming estates that supplied produce to the Roman settlement at Isca Dumnoniorum, modern-day Exeter. The Fosse Way, one of Roman Britain’s great highways linking Exeter with Lincoln, ran close to Honiton, giving the valley ready access to trade routes that connected the South West to the wider empire.

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Saxon and Norman Ottery

After the Roman legions withdrew, the Otter Valley passed through centuries of shifting control until Saxon settlers established a network of villages and farms. By the tenth century, a community had formed around the river crossing at what became Ottery, taking advantage of its fertile floodplain and steady water supply.

The name “Ottery” derives from the River Otter itself, likely from the Old English Otere, while the suffix “St Mary” was later added to reflect its ecclesiastical ownership. Documentary evidence places Ottery firmly within the Saxon administrative system: a royal charter of AD 963 records King Edgar granting land here, described as two hides at Otheri, to his advisor, Wulfhelm. This is one of the earliest written references to the place. By the late Saxon period, the settlement belonged to the Church of St Mary in Rouen, France, a link that would define its later medieval identity.

When the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, the settlement appeared as Otri and Otrei, listed as a sizeable manor with extensive farmland, meadow and woodland. The entry mentions mills, livestock and a small population, clear signs of a prosperous agricultural community clustered along the riverbanks.

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The Medieval Church Town

The Middle Ages transformed Ottery from a rural manor into a thriving church town. The turning point came in 1338 when John de Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter, founded a collegiate church here. His vision was ambitious: to create a smaller version of Exeter Cathedral that would serve both as a centre of worship and a place of learning.

The result was the magnificent St Mary’s Church, whose twin western towers still dominate the skyline. Built of local stone, it features a rib-vaulted nave, intricate carved bosses and a graceful Lady Chapel. Inside, finely carved misericords beneath the choir stalls hint at the daily rhythm of collegiate life. At the same time, the fifteenth-century astronomical clock, one of the oldest working examples in England, reflects the ordered precision of the medieval church.

As the collegiate foundation flourished, so did the town. Markets were held, trade in wool and grain increased, and the River Otter provided both power and irrigation. Stone cottages and timber-framed houses clustered around the churchyard, forming a close-knit community that endured plague, famine and social change.

The Chanters House – From Collegiate Foundation to Coleridge Home

The Chanters House stands close to St Mary’s Church and is one of Ottery St Mary’s most historically significant buildings. Its origins date back to the fourteenth century, when Bishop John de Grandisson founded the collegiate church and established residences for the clergy who sang the daily offices. The house was originally the home of the chanters, the priests responsible for maintaining the rhythm of worship within the church.

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1545–46, the property passed to the Governors of the Church of Ottery St Mary, along with other former collegiate holdings. The house retained its ecclesiastical character but gradually evolved into a distinguished private residence. In the seventeenth century, it became the seat of the Coleridge family, who over time transformed it into one of the grandest houses in East Devon.

During the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell is said to have stayed at The Chanters House in 1645, using it as his headquarters while Parliamentarian troops were stationed in the area. The chamber where he is believed to have held councils of war is still known locally as the Cromwell Room, a reminder of the town’s brief but dramatic role in national events.

For more than 300 years, The Chanters House remained the ancestral home of the Coleridges. This family produced several notable figures, including the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his descendants, among them Lord Chief Justice Sir John Duke Coleridge. The house was remodelled in the nineteenth century, incorporating a vast library and fine Gothic interiors that reflected the family’s intellectual and cultural stature.

Today, The Chanters House stands as a private residence.

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The Flexton – Heart of the Medieval Market

At the centre of this growing town lay The Flexton, the broad open space that became Ottery’s market square and civic heart. Its name appears in medieval records, and a plaque on the site records that a market charter was granted here in 1226, confirming its role as the focus of trade and public life. For centuries, livestock, grain, wool and household goods were bought and sold on this spot.

The Flextons’ importance continued through every era of the town’s history. In 1860, the Old Town Hall was built facing the square, a red-brick Gothic building financed by public subscription to provide a meeting place, courtroom and police office. Today, the building houses Ottery St Mary Heritage Society’s Museum.

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Tudor Prosperity and Religious Upheaval

The sixteenth century brought profound change. Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries swept away collegiate establishments across England. In 1545, the college at Ottery St Mary was dissolved and its property transferred to the Crown. The parishioners, however, successfully petitioned for the church to remain in local hands.

In 1546, the Governors of the Church of Ottery St Mary were established by royal charter – a corporation of respected parishioners charged with maintaining the church fabric and managing its income. Remarkably, this body still exists today, continuing an unbroken civic duty that has lasted almost five centuries.

Just outside the town, another legacy of Tudor prosperity took shape at Cadhay House, built around 1550 by John Haydon, Recorder of Exeter. Its courtyard displays statues of the Tudor monarchs — Henry VIII and his three children — a rare and striking architectural flourish. Cadhay’s design and later restoration embody the craftsmanship and confidence of Elizabethan Devon.

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Seventeenth to Eighteenth Centuries – A Market Town Emerges

Through the Stuart and Georgian periods, Ottery remained a modest but busy market town serving the surrounding farms and hamlets. Weekly markets and annual fairs brought traders and livestock to the Flexton, while the river powered small corn mills along its course. The old wool trade gradually declined, replaced by the production of cloth and later silk.

During the Civil War, Devon saw skirmishes and shifting loyalties, though Ottery itself escaped major destruction. By the eighteenth century, improved roads linked the town more closely with Exeter and Honiton, strengthening its role as a local centre for agricultural exchange. The prosperity of local families was reflected in solid Georgian townhouses, some of which still line Silver Street, Peternoster Row and the Cornhill today.

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The Coleridge Connection

The late eighteenth century saw the birth of Ottery St Mary’s most famous son, the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, born in 1772 at The Old School House, The College. The house, along with the adjoining grammar school, was demolished in 1884. Today, only a blue plaque marks the site where it once stood.

The youngest of ten children of the Reverend John Coleridge, vicar of St Mary’s and master of The King’s School, he grew up surrounded by books, sermons and the rolling Devon countryside.

The King’s School, founded in the fourteenth century as part of the collegiate foundation, educated boys in grammar, Latin and theology. It remained an important local institution long after the Reformation and still survives today on a modern campus on the edge of town. Within this scholarly setting, young Coleridge developed his love of learning and his lifelong fascination with language and the natural world.

His early memories of the river and valley found expression years later in his poetry. In one letter, he wrote of “the dear wild river and sweet voice of the Otter,” capturing his Romantic vision of nature as sacred and alive. Although Coleridge travelled widely and helped launch the Romantic movement with Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballads (1798), Ottery remained his spiritual home.

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Industrial Growth and the Tumbling Weir

By the end of the eighteenth century, Ottery’s economy was changing. In 1788, Sir John Duntze and Sir George Yonge built two large water-powered mills beside the River Otter, a worsted factory for spinning fine thread and a grist and flour mill for grain, both driven by the same millstream. The Tumbling Weir cleverly regulated the water flow. This circular overflow maintained constant water pressure while preventing floods, and it remains one of the town’s most distinctive landmarks.

The worsted factory was later converted to silk production, employing hundreds of women and girls throughout the early nineteenth century. As the textile trade declined, the site adapted to changing times, housing a variety of small industries before, in the mid-twentieth century, being transformed into the Otter Mill switchgear works, which produced electrical components for export worldwide. For more than fifty years, this enterprise sustained local employment and continued Ottery’s long tradition of innovation and manufacturing.

Production finally ceased in 2003, bringing to an end over two centuries of industrial use on the site. The riverside complex has since been sympathetically redeveloped for housing and apartments, blending restored historic structures with new residential buildings.

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Victorian and Edwardian Ottery

In the nineteenth century, railways and education reshaped life once more. The nearby London and South Western Railway reached the area in the 1860s, improving access to Exeter, Sidmouth and Honiton. The town’s population grew modestly, with new chapels, schools and civic buildings around the Flexton.

The Town Hall, built in 1860, became the hub of local government and community events. Gas lighting, piped water and improved sanitation followed, while St Mary’s Church underwent careful restoration under architect William Butterfield.

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The Twentieth Century and Modern Era

The First and Second World Wars left their mark. Young men from Ottery served in both conflicts and are commemorated on the town’s war memorial. During the Second World War, troops were billeted in the old mill buildings, and evacuees from London found safety in the valley.

Post-war Ottery adapted to the changing face of Devon. Its railway station, once linking to Sidmouth and Exeter, was closed during the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, but good road links kept the town thriving. New housing expanded the outskirts while the historic core, centred on St Mary’s Church and the Flexton, remained largely intact.

Today, Ottery St Mary thrives as a friendly, characterful town that proudly celebrates its heritage. Its annual Tar Barrels tradition, when locals carry flaming barrels through the streets each November, draws crowds from across Britain. The lighter-hearted Pixie Day, held each summer, recalls the folklore of mischievous spirits banished from the church bells.

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Ottery St Mary Things to Do

The Ottery St Mary Heritage Society’s Museum

Housed in the historic Old Town Hall, the Ottery St Mary Heritage Society’s Museum (April-September) offers a fascinating journey through more than 2,000 years of local history. Visitors will discover displays dedicated to the town’s medieval roots, literary connections (including Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Makepeace Thackeray), and the unique traditions of Ottery, such as the Tar Barrels event.

Explore St Mary’s Church

St Mary’s Church in Ottery St Mary is open daily to visitors, and admission is free, though donations are welcome. Inside, highlights include a rib-vaulted nave, intricately carved fourteenth-century misericords and one of England’s oldest working astronomical clocks, which still marks the phases of the moon. The church remains active with regular services and community events, and visitors are encouraged to take time to walk around the churchyard, admire the tracery of its great east window and enjoy the peaceful setting in the heart of the town.

Walk the River Otter

Follow the peaceful riverside path from Ottery St Mary to Tipton St John, a gentle two-mile walk that traces the River Otter’s clear waters through meadows and willow-lined banks. From Tipton, keen walkers can continue south to Newton Poppleford, where the valley begins to widen, or follow the longer trail all the way to Budleigh Salterton, where the river meets the sea on the edge of the Jurassic Coast.

Cadhay House & Gardens

Visitors can explore Cadhay House, one of Devon’s finest Tudor manor houses, which opens to the public on selected days between May and September. Guided tours reveal its oak-panelled rooms, long gallery and family chapel, while the formal gardens and orchards offer space to picnic or wander at leisure. On open days, the tearoom in the old kitchen serves homemade cakes, light lunches and traditional cream teas, with seating overlooking the gardens. It’s a peaceful setting to enjoy refreshments after a tour.

Ottery St Mary Bonfire Night – The Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels

The Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels is one of England’s most famous and dramatic village traditions. Held on November 5th, the narrow streets fill with crowds as locals run through the town carrying blazing tar barrels on their shoulders, a custom said to date back to the seventeenth century. As night falls, the fair by the River Otter comes alive with rides, stalls, music and food, leading to the lighting of a massive bonfire at around 6.30 pm. Accommodation is booked out months in advance, and visitors are urged to arrive early, follow the stewards’ advice and simply enjoy one of the most thrilling and proudly English spectacles in the calendar.

For more information read our Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels guide.

Pixie Day and Summer Festivals

Held each June, Pixie Day fills the square with music, parades and food stalls. It’s a highlight of the Ottery St Mary Festival season alongside church concerts and the Food & Family Festival in September.

Otter Nurseries – Ottery St Mary Garden Centre

A short walk south of town lies Otter Nurseries, the flagship Ottery St Mary Garden Centre. It’s a destination in itself, with extensive plant displays, homeware shops, a farm shop deli, and cafés serving fresh, local food.

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Ottery St Mary Town Centre & Shops

Ottery St Mary’s town centre is compact and easy to explore, with everything within comfortable walking distance.

The town has a large, modern supermarket, a fine hardware store and bookshop, and a modest but interesting selection of local independent shops.

Although shopping choice is limited compared with nearby Honiton or Exeter, Ottery’s independent businesses and relaxed atmosphere make it a pleasant place to browse. Parking is straightforward, with car parks at Land of Canaan (Canaan Way) and Hind Street close to the main streets.

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Seasonal Highlights & Annual Events

• February–April: Spring gardens and early market season.
• June: Pixie Day.
• September: Food & Family Festival with cookery demonstrations and local producers.
• October: The Ottery St Mary Carnival, held each October as part of the East Devon Carnival Circuit.
• 5 November: Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels and Bonfire Night – the town’s signature event.
• December: Christmas light switch-on, market and late-night shopping in The Square.

Nearby Exeter adds theatre and winter markets, while Sidmouth hosts its own folk festival in August, making East Devon a year-round destination.

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Getting There & Getting Around

By Car: Ottery St Mary sits just off the A30 between Exeter and Honiton. The journey from Exeter takes 20 minutes; from London, about 3.5 hours via the A303.

The nearest railway station is Feniton, around three miles from Ottery St Mary, with the Hatch Green 382 bus providing a direct link into the town. Alternatively, you can travel via Honiton, which is also on the South Western Railway line to London Waterloo. Although a few miles further away, Honiton offers more frequent bus connections to Ottery St Mary..

By Bus: Stagecoach routes 44 and 44A connect Exeter, Honiton and (44A) Axminster—the Hatch Green 382 bus links Ottery St Mary with Sidmouth, Feniton, and Whimple. Services run Monday to Saturday, with a few journeys each day in both directions.

By Air: Exeter Airport is 8 miles away and offers flights to the UK and Europe.

On Foot or by Bike: Ottery St Mary is a rewarding base for both walking and cycling, surrounded by peaceful countryside and quiet Devon lanes. The River Otter valley offers gentle paths leading to neighbouring villages such as Tipton St John and Feniton. At the same time, the long-distance East Devon Way passes just to the south, linking the town with Sidmouth on the coast and Exmouth further west.

Cyclists can enjoy scenic back roads that wind through rolling farmland, or connect to National Cycle Route 2 near Newton Poppleford for coastal rides towards Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton.

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Eating and Drinking – Ottery St Mary Pubs & Cafés

The town has an excellent choice of places to eat and drink, many of them independent.

Ottery St Mary pubs include The London Inn, a historic coaching inn serving local ales and Sunday roasts – and The Volunteer Inn on Mill Street with live music and open fires. Both feature on any good list of Ottery St Mary things to do for an evening out.

For food, try:

• Ottery Cafe & Bistro – Right in the middle of town and very welcoming.
• Jeffery’s Eatery – This Indian street-food style bar is a top pick for flavour and friendly service, ideal for a relaxed evening meal. There is also Jeffrey’s Kashmiri Cuisine.
• The Fat Otter – Perfect for a smaller-scale dining experience with interesting dishes and good drinks.
• Coldharbour Farm Shop & Field Kitchen – Great views, great choice for brunch, lunch or something more casual in a relaxed setting (just over a mile out of town on Slade Road) – opens late on Fridays and Saturdays.
• The Coffee Bank – perfect for breakfast or a light lunch.
• Otter Nurseries Restaurant – at the Ottery St Mary Garden Centre, ideal for afternoon tea.

Nearby, Honiton offers even more dining and evening entertainment options, from pubs to restaurants. We always check Tripadvisor to find the latest local favourites and see which places are currently recommended across the area.

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Where to Stay in Ottery St Mary

Ottery St Mary was once well served by the Salston Manor and Tumbling Weir hotels, both now sadly closed. While the town tends to attract day visitors rather than overnight guests, there are still some lovely places to stay nearby.

You’ll find a great choice of self-catering cottages in the Otter Valley, along with welcoming bed and breakfasts and small hotels in the surrounding countryside. It’s well worth exploring the latest availability and guest reviews on Booking.com to find somewhere that suits your style and budget. Vrbo is also a great site for self-catering and vacation holiday home rentals.

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Weather in Ottery St Mary

Ottery St Mary shares the mild, maritime climate typical of East Devon, influenced by its sheltered position in the River Otter valley. Summers are comfortably warm rather than hot, and winters are generally mild with little frost or snow.

Spring (Mar–May): Fresh greenery returns to the valley, with blossom along the river and ideal weather for countryside walks.
Summer (Jun–Aug): Average highs of around 21 °C, perfect for exploring nearby villages or enjoying local events such as the Pixie Day celebrations.
Autumn (Sep–Nov): Expect crisp mornings and golden foliage.
Winter (Dec–Feb): Mostly damp and cool, though bright frosty mornings can light the surrounding hills.

It’s a good idea to pack layers and a waterproof, whatever the season!

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Practicalities & Helpful Links

Helpful Sites:

• Booking.com – for most accommodation needs. Look out for options that include free cancellation.
• Easy Tide – Free UK tidal prediction service, providing tidal data and tide times for the current day and 6 days into the future.
• Expedia – good for flights and packages.
• Get Your Guide – find and book things to see. Includes unusual things to do.
• Hostelworld – Hostel-focused booking platform that fosters backpack connections.
• MetOffice – Weather forecasts from the UK’s official meteorological office.
• National Express – UK-based coach operator providing long-distance bus services
• Omio – Book travel tickets by comparing trains, buses and planes in one search.
• Rental Cars – to search out and book hire cars.
• Rome2Rio – Great for comparing local transport options (and for locating bus stops).
• Ticketmaster – What’s On – Major Events – Venues – Bookings
• Trainline.com – our go-to online platform for booking train and bus tickets, offering route planning, price comparisons, seat reservations, and ticket sales.
• Traffic England – for live traffic updates on major roads.
• Traveline SW – Comprehensive public transport information from A to B by bus, coach, train, ferry in South West England and Great Britain.
• TripAdvisor – for reviews of… pretty much everything. Our go-to before booking anything.
• Vrbo – Great for self-catering and vacation holiday home rentals.

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Final Thoughts

Ottery St Mary is one of East Devon’s most characterful small towns — ancient yet alive with tradition. Its riverside walks, welcoming pubs, independent shops and enduring customs make it a rewarding stop on any West Country journey.

From the blazing spectacle of the Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels to the calm of St Mary’s Church or the colourful aisles of Ottery St Mary Garden Centre, this is a place where heritage and community thrive together.

Whether you visit for Bonfire Night, a peaceful weekend of countryside walks, or a quick detour from Exeter, you’ll find plenty of Ottery St Mary things to do and every reason to linger a little longer in the heart of East Devon.

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