In the village of Shebbear the locals gather at the Devil's Stone Inn to attack a huge boulder with crowbars. This is the Devil's Stone - which is about 6 feet long by 4 feet wide and weighs about a ton - and they have to turn it over or bad luck will befall the village.
The origins of the custom are steeped in legend – the stone was dropped by St Michael upon the Devil himself (a similar tale to that told in my home town, Helston in Cornwall - see here). But as to why turning the stone averts misfortune, nobody knows. The church bells are rung discordantly, the Vicar tells the tale of the legend and the stone gets turned over by the bellringers for another year. Then it's back to the pub - which has a painted sign with Old Nick himself sitting on the stone - for live music and lots of celebratory beers.
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Meanwhile, in Ottery St Mary, the town is lit up by blazing tar barrels, each weighing around 4st, that are carried on the backs of local residents as they rush through the streets.
The Devil's Stone Pub Facebook page is here.
The origins of the custom are believed to date back to the Glorious Revolution of 1688 - which may help explain why it happens on Guy Fawkes Night - but no-one knows for sure. From 4pm there are smaller barrels for children and ladies, then at 6.30pm a huge bonfire is lit near the riverbank and the men's barrels start to appear around 7.30 pm. Each barrel is sponsored by a pub and lit outside it, and the action takes place around The Square, Mill Street and Yonder Street areas.
As if this wasn’t enough chaos, there is also a funfair and the firing of the Rock Cannons. These are hand-held miniature cannons which are fired at 5.30am, around 1pm and 4 pm and they are very loud.
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