Ottery St Mary gets the search traffic. Every year, the Devon tar barrel story is told there, and rightly so, because it is huge. Hatherleigh, a town of about 1,300 people, sets its own barrels on fire and drags them through the streets at speed. Far fewer people write about it.
The Hatherleigh tar barrels are older than the carnival that carries them. The organisers say the barrels date back much further than 100 years, and some say they date back to pagan times. Nobody can prove that. What you can prove is that on Saturday 14 November 2026, at 5am, the first barrel will be lit.
This guide provides the timetable, the history, and what to wear.
Quick Facts
Region: Hatherleigh, West Devon
Best for: Fire customs, evening crowds, a night out with a fixed timetable
Getting there: By road; Hatherleigh has no railway station
Time needed: An evening, or a full day if you start at 5am
Hatherleigh Tar Barrels: 2026 Date and Timetable
The official carnival site lists the 2026 event for Saturday 14 November. It is held on the second Saturday of November. Calendar Customs gives the running order:
- Friday before: barrels pulled up Market Street with musicians and entertainers, then positioned for Saturday
- 5am Saturday: the first barrel run
- 6pm: the float parade assembles in Market Place
- 7.30pm: the torchlit procession joins in Market Street
- 9.30pm: the remaining barrels are lit and paraded at speed
The organisers’ own schedule page could not be read, so confirm these times before you travel. Their contact address is info@hatherleighcarnival.co.uk.
The event goes ahead in all weather, according to Calendar Customs.
How the Barrels Work
Information Britain describes the barrels as open-ended, soaked in fuel, placed on a sledge, set alight, and pulled at the fastest speed the team can manage along a set route.
Read that twice. This is not a torchlit stroll. A burning barrel on a sledge moves fast, and the crowd stands close.
The night before, the barrels come up Market Street, accompanied by musicians and entertainers. Hatherleigh’s own history page says they are taken to Oakfield Road, ready for the off at 5am the next morning. The first run comes at 5am, in the dark of a November morning. Sparks show up against a black sky in a way they cannot at 9.30pm, when floats and street lights compete with them.
Calendar Customs says barrel running appears to be unique to Hatherleigh, although Ottery St Mary in Devon and Allendale in Northumberland have similar customs. Whether they are linked is unclear, according to Information Britain.
Where to Stay: The George Inn, 5 Market Street, EX20 3JN, sits in the middle of the route. It is a listing page; the pub’s own site was not found. Rooms include four-poster options and one accessible room.
Worth Knowing: Wear clothes you can lose. Calendar Customs gives blunt advice: don’t wear anything too good, and keep out of harm’s way.
A Carnival That Began in 1903
The carnival began in 1903 as the Hatherleigh and Meeth Hospital Association Carnival. Its first donation was £4 4s to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
It was held on the first Wednesday in November as a set-off to the old Fifth of November celebrations. A 1904 newspaper account says the annual carnival took place on Guy Fawkes Day. It moved to a Saturday later, and today it runs on the second Saturday of November.
The record year on the organisers’ page is 6 November 1929. Takings reached £202.39, and officials carried the cash to the bank in a wheelbarrow. The bank manager found that unprecedented.
That detail tells you what this event is. It is a fundraiser run by a small town, and the fire is part of the fundraising.
Where to Stay: Tally Ho! offers two king-size en-suite rooms and welcomes dogs. Two rooms are a small number, so ask early.
Worth Knowing: The carnival site says the flaming barrels are older than the carnival, and dates them “much further than 100 years”. No document gives a start date, so treat the pagan story as folklore.
The Evening: Floats, Torches and Barrels
The evening programme has three parts. At 6pm the float parade assembles in Market Place. The tractor-drawn illuminated floats are the carnival proper, and the official site adds marching bands and walking guys to the line-up.
At 7.30pm the torchlit procession joins in Market Street. Then, at 9.30pm, the remaining barrels are lit and paraded around town at speed.
There is also a bonfire, and a Carnival Queen, Prince and Princess are crowned. Street entertainment runs through the town.
The sound at night is a mix of bands, tractor engines and a crowd.
Food and drink are available throughout the town, according to Calendar Customs. Parking at the Market is described as plentiful and affordable, but confirm arrangements before you set off.
Where to Stay: The George Inn is the historic option. Britain’s Finest dates the building to around 1450 and says it likely began life as a courthouse and hostel for the monks of Tavistock Abbey.
Worth Knowing: After the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, the village was sold to the Arscott family in the sixteenth century, according to the same listing. A fire led to a rebuild in 2010.
Hatherleigh Against Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary is the famous one and worth seeing. But it is a different scale of event.
Hatherleigh has around 1,300 residents, according to Information Britain. The crowd is smaller and closer. There is less distance between you and the sledge.
Hatherleigh’s run is on the second Saturday of November. If you want both events in one trip, check the 2026 date for Ottery St Mary before you book.
For more of Britain’s fire and folk customs, read our guide to England’s forgotten summer festivals, and for another custom that has survived on a village’s terms, see the Barwick in Elmet Maypole.
Worth Knowing: Information Britain says the custom appears in Devon and Northumberland, and that a link between Hatherleigh, Ottery St Mary and Allendale is unclear.
What to Wear and Where to Stand
Wear old boots, old trousers and a coat you do not mind ruining. Fuel and sparks do not care what you paid for it.
Stand back from the route. The barrels move fast, and the teams who pull them have a job to do.
Keep children close. Noise, sparks and crowds are not a good mix for dogs, so think twice about bringing one.
Practical Tips
- Book rooms early. The Tally Ho! has only two.
- Confirm the timetable with the organisers before you travel.
- Arrive well before 6pm if you want a place on Market Street.
- Bring cash for food and drink in case card payments are patchy.
- Wear old clothes and sturdy shoes.
- Expect to stand outdoors for hours in November weather.
Responsible Visiting
Do not cross the route once the barrels are moving. Follow marshals. Leave no rubbish in the streets, and remember that this is a working town on a Saturday night with local residents living along the route.
Reader Q&A
When are the Hatherleigh tar barrels in 2026?
Saturday 14 November 2026, according to the official carnival site.
What time do the tar barrels start?
The first barrel run is at 5am. The evening barrels are lit at 9.30 pm, according to Calendar Customs. Confirm with the organisers.
Is Hatherleigh the same as Ottery St Mary?
No. Both are Devon tar barrel customs, but they are separate events on different dates.
Is it free?
The sources read do not mention an entry charge. Check the organisers’ pages before you go.
Can I get there by train?
There is no railway station in Hatherleigh, so plan to arrive by road.
Is it safe for children?
Fire and moving sledges make it a risk. Keep children close and stay back from the route.
Where to Stay
- The George Inn: built around 1450, Market Street, with four-poster rooms.
- Tally Ho!: two king-size en-suite rooms, dog-friendly.
Closing
By 10pm the street smells of smoke and hot metal, and the last barrel has gone by. The town returns to being a town of 1,300. The barrels will be lit again next year on the same street for a fundraiser that began in 1903. Browse more on the Events page, or explore Britain’s secret pubs.
