Ottery tar barrels
The small town of Ottery St Mary in Devon, England has hosted its annual lighting of wooden tar barrels for over 400 years. Thought to have origins to mark the gunpowder plot of 1604, local people gather each November to carry flaming tar barrels on their shoulders through the streets. Watched by hundreds of people, the ‘rollers’ heave tar-soaked barrels on to their backs, raising them aloft through the town. The barrels are set alight, with huge flames leaping into the sky, singeing the carriers clothes, albeit delayed by rudimentary sackcloth shoulder guards.
Spectators watch with both excitement and fear, dodging the firey barrels as they lunge past the crowds almost losing control. As the wood burns though, pieces of the barrels fall off, shattering to an explosion of sparks on the ground. Despite the obvious risks, to be a ‘barrel roller’ is considered an honour – only those who have participated as children can carry on the tradition. And as the night goes on, the barrels get heavier. By midnight, the last barrels weigh around 30kg.
It was extraordinary to witness such raw chaos, with few safety precautions in place, especially in today’s risk-adverse society. Moving around was challenging with the number of people there and yet I was able to blend into the crowd; ducking as flaming barrels past over my head. There were no safely barriers I could shoot low, get close to people’s faces, and use the light of the fire mixed with flash to capture the expressions of the rollers and the crowd. I used a single 24-70 zoom lens with on camera flash and no bag because that would have got in the way. I’ve never witnessed anything like it – I was exhilarated by the experience and the heat of the barrels as you stand near them. I can’t imagine what holding and running into a crowd of people with a flaming barrel is like.
That it continues year after year adds to its power and strength, and long may the tradition continue. To view the photos click here.