Visiting one of only two charnel chapels (or ossuaries) left in the country left a bitter taste in my mouth. Though it was possibly more sour than bitter. Or tangy. Very musty certainly. Once tasted, never forgotten. Unfortunately, though the internet mentions that admission includes tea and biscuits (how very British), on our visit they didn't seem to be offered to take the taste away. See portfolio here! So to say that Rothwell Charnel House has an atmosphere would be a s

This week I have mostly been thinking about decapitations. It started as a casual conversation with someone who will remain anonymous but who can confirm that she knows the person who knows the whereabouts of Oliver Cromwell's head. For those of you who don't know, having rested peacefully in Westminster Abbey, he was dug up and posthumously executed after the restoration of the English Monarchy. The corpse was exhumed and then hanged, and later his head was placed on a spike