Ottery St Mary is on the River Otter, about ten miles east of Exeter. It is part of a large civil parish of the same name, which also covers the villages of West Hill, Metcombe, Fairmile, Alfington, Tipton St John and Wiggaton.

The town was the birthplace of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and where the noted diplomat Sir Ernest Satow spent his retirement (1906-29) at the house called 'Beaumont' which still stands. Satow was buried in the churchyard; there is a commemorative plaque to him is in the church.

Ottery's notable buildings include the Tumbling Weir and Ottery St Mary church. The town is the site of The King's School, now a comprehensive school, founded in 1545 by Henry VIII.

Major events are held in Ottery near the 5th November - Guy Fawkes Night, when flaming tar barrels are carried through the town. A 17th century tradition, barrels soaked in tar are set alight and carried aloft through parts of the town.

J K Rowling named the fictional home village of the Weasley family in the Harry Potter series 'Ottery St Catchpole' after Ottery St Mary.

Key Stats

• The population for the market town area has risen by around 19% since 1991. The surrounding hinterland saw the biggest increase overall with a population growth of 24% - which is well above the county figure of 15%. The population is around 8,500.
• The age structure of the population in the market town area is slightly different to that of the county, especially in the 16-24 (2% lower) and 45-64 age cohorts (1.5% higher).
• Unemployment levels in Ottery St. Mary are below the county, district and national comparisons.
• Economic activity as a whole within the market town area is similar to the county average. There are a higher proportion of people working on a full-time basis in the remaining parishes than the centre parish of Ottery St. Mary.
• Claim rates for Income Support and Job Seekers Allowance are slightly higher in the Centre of the market town than the surrounding hinterland. Claim rates for Income Support and Job Seekers Allowance in the market town as a whole are below all three comparisons.
• The three main industry sectors that people work in living in the market town are wholesale & retail trade, health & social work and real estate which accounts for about 43% of employment. The main businesses in the area are wholesale & retail and Health & social work which make up about a third of all businesses.
• Children living in areas other than Ottery St. Mary achieve significantly higher results at Maths Key Stage 2 than those that live in the town. This is reversed when looking at English and Science attainment. All results are much better than all comparators.
• GCSEs attainment rates for students living in the centre parish of Ottery St. Mary are better than those living in the surrounding areas. Looking at the market town as a whole attainment rates are once again above all three comparators.
• Select here for more statistics about Ottery St Mary and surrounding area. (838KB - pdf help)