27 Astonishing Things You Didn't Know About London

19. One Head Bizarrely Refused To Rot

Starting with William Wallace in 1305, London Bridge was used to display traitors€™ heads. These heads, impaled on spikes, served as a grotesque warning to others. At times, there were as many as 30 heads skewered on iron spikes along the bridge. To stop the heads decomposing too quickly, they were often boiled and dipped in tar. However, one head caused problems by appearing to get fresher the longer it was kept up there. The head belonged to Bishop John Fisher, who was executed in 1535 for suicidally refusing to accept Henry VIII in place of the Pope as head of the Church. Over the course of 14 days, his head perversely seemed to look better and better. So many people came to view the grisly miracle that there were serious traffic jams. To stop the Bishop mocking the King from beyond the grave, the head was quietly chucked into the Thames under the cover of darkness. No one got the better of Henry VIII.