Ottery St. Mary, Devon
Ottery St Mary, southwest of Honiton in Devon, is located on the banks of the River Otter in a pleasant valley.
Ottery
History
The town is associated with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose father was vicar at The Church of St Mary of Ottery in the late 18th century. Other literary connections include William Makepiece Thackeray, who occasionally stayed in the village and set his novel Pendennis here. In addition, the 19th-century Japan scholar, translator and statesman Sir Ernest Satow (1843-1929) is buried in the northeast corner of the churchyard.
Ottery on a rainy day
Things to See
The Church of St Mary of Ottery is Ottery St Mary’s main attraction. The church is situated on Cornhill overlooking the town below. A small Heritage Museum stands adjacent to the church housed in the former Victorian Old Town Hall.
The church was purchased and rebuilt in the 1340s by Bishop Grandisson of Exeter, who modeled it after nearby Exeter Cathedral. The weathercock on one of the twin towers is said to be the oldest surviving in Europe. The ornate interior, restored in 1977, has fine fan vaulting, some grotesque decoration and an ancient astronomical clock dating back to the 14th century.
The village has several pubs. These include the Rusty Pig, The King’s Arms, The London Inn and The Volunteer Inn. They are all clustered together, just south of the church.
The Church of St Mary of Ottery
The names of the streets: Amen Court, Jesus Street and Paternoster Row reflect the ecclesiastical heritage of the original medieval town. Nowadays, a number of elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings survive, some of which are marked by blue plaques such as The Old Convent, previously a Marist Sisters school.
Ottery is close to Honiton in East Devon and just 20 minutes by car from Exeter
November 5 sees the annual Ottery St Mary tar barreling. The four local pubs sponsor a tar-soaked wooden barrel, which is then set alight and carried through the streets by men, women and even children.
A young Ernest Satow – diplomat in Meiji Period Japan
Access – Getting There
Ottery St Mary is south of the A30, 12 miles west of Exeter. The 4A bus to Honiton from Exeter Bus Station stops in Ottery St Mary. From Exeter it is 20 minutes by car on the A30.
The village also connects to Exeter, Honiton and Sidmouth by bus. Ottery St. Mary is a short drive north of the seaside village of Beer. The town’s tourist office (Tel: 01404 813 964) is at 10b Broad Street.
Accommodation
If you wish to stay in the town there are a few options. The Tumbling Weir Hotel lies in a 17th century thatched cottage. The property offers en suite bathrooms in all rooms and also a full West Country breakfast. Otter’s Cottage is a charming two-bedroom holiday home with garden in the center of Ottery.
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