The town of Ottery St Mary in England's Devon takes November 5 celebrations to a whole new level in a festival it's hard to believe is still legal in these health-and-safety conscious times.

In what is thought to be a more than 400-year-old tradition, men, women and children alike set fire to 30kg wooden barrels lined with the tar, lug them onto their shoulders and run. They keep going until the heat becomes unbearable or the barrel breaks down, typically resulting in a raging inferno. While the fire brigade is on hand, this is certainly no festival for the fainthearted.

The Tar Barrel festival has been threatened with closure numerous times, but locals guard their tradition fiercely.

Organisers make it clear that spectators attend at their own risk, saying that if "you are scared by flames and do not like being in crowded areas then this event is not for you".

For those who do like fire though, there's a more than 10-metre-high and 15-metre wide bonfire to admire. Local children compete to make the best "Guy" and the winning effigy is placed on the top of the bonfire and ceremoniously burned.

Get there before it's banned.