Ottery Saint Mary: Churches, Cadhay and the Coleridge Way

Ottery St Mary offers several reasons to stay: architectural history, local culture, walking routes and an annual event. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ottery Saint Mary, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your trip. The historic sites and activities offer different perspectives, from the architectural history of the Parish Church to walks through the surrounding parish.

Architectural history in a church and manor house

Cadhay is a manor house dating from 1550. Tours of the house include the Long Gallery and the Roof Chamber, among other spaces. These named interior rooms are also among the things to consider when exploring Cadhay. The date it was built provides a specific historical reference point for this part of the town’s history.

St Mary’s Parish Church was built as a collegiate church in 1342, modelled on Exeter Cathedral. Much of the building dates to the time of John de Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter from 1312 to 1369. The church is known for its painted ceiling and the fan-vaulted aisle from the early 16th century, known as the Dorset Aisle. The south transept houses the Ottery St Mary Astronomical Clock, one of the oldest surviving mechanical clocks in the country.

Local history and Coleridge

The Ottery St Mary Heritage Society Museum presents the social and cultural history of Ottery St Mary and its surroundings over a period of 2,000 years. This broad time span complements the focus on individual buildings with the history of the town and its surroundings. The Blue Plaque Trail highlights places associated with significant events, people and buildings.

Ottery St Mary is also the birthplace of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The 36-mile Coleridge Way long-distance walking route passes through the East Devon countryside and links Ottery St Mary with other places associated with Coleridge, including Exeter. The two options offer different focuses: the Blue Plaque Trail draws attention to associated places, while the long-distance route connects several locations across the East Devon countryside.

Footpaths and the River Otter

Ottery St Mary and the surrounding parish have many miles of public footpaths, including routes along the River Otter. Erosion-related closures may occur on some sections of the riverbank. So if you’re planning a walk along the River Otter, check the current path status in advance. The paths in the town and parish offer a different focus for a trip than the architectural and cultural history; your exact choice depends on which sections you include in your plans.

Tar Barrels and other interests

Tar Barrels is an annual event in Ottery St Mary. It takes place on 5 November, unless that date falls on a Sunday. Ottery is the only town in the country where full-sized tar barrels are set alight and carried through the streets. If you want to plan your trip around the event, check the date for your travel year in advance.

Land of Canaan Park has a large children’s play area with an inclusive otter play structure. Activities listed for the structure include climbing, balancing and sensory play. This specific play area can therefore be included as a distinct point of interest in your trip plans, alongside the historic sites, trail and paths.

In 2026, the Ottery St Mary Heritage Society Museum was open from 3 April to the end of September, Thursday to Saturday. This period has passed; check the current opening days before a later visit.

Discover more destinations: Exebridge, Bigbury-on-Sea, Upton Pyne, Bampton, Plympton, Dittisham, Manaton, Sampford Spiney

For the main travel overview: Devon.