The Cambridge college home to Oliver Cromwell's head that you could walk straight past

Like any historic city, Cambridge has its fair share of gruesome, gory, and ghostly tales. There is a tale to tell on practically every corner – some requiring a bit of imagination to believe and others passed down in history books.

As just one example, you could be strolling along the street to the shops, passing by the site where Oliver Cromwell's head found its final resting place. That final resting place is, of course, Sidney Sussex College, which thousands of people pass by every day without giving it a second thought.

The college was founded in 1596 on the site of a former friary, according to the college's website. The infamous Oliver Cromwell, politician and soldier from Huntingdon, joined the college in 1616 as a 17-year-old – but left without a degree after his father died.

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Cromwell was elected MP for Huntingdon in 1628, starting a political career which lasted until his death. He is best known for ruling the Commonwealth of England as Lord Protector after King Charles I was executed.

Many people will have learnt about Cromwell in their history lessons, but fewer will know the twisted tale of what happened to him after his death. He died of natural causes in 1658 and was buried at Westminster Abbey, complete with his head.

However in 1661, the winds of power had changed once more, and King Charles II ordered that Cromwell's body be disinterred for a posthumous execution – overkill, much? His body and those of two associates were left hanging for a day, before being cut down and beheaded.

The severed heads were placed on poles and displayed on the roof of Westminster Hall for more than a decade before blowing off in a stormy night. It is believed that Cromwell's head was then kept by a soldier who hid it in his chimney.

From there, the macabre possession passed through several people's hands, including private collectors and museums, before it was buried at Sidney Sussex College in 1960. It is said that only a select few members of the college know the exact location of Cromwell's head.

As for his body, what happened to it is almost as much of a mystery. Some legends say it was buried at midnight in a Northamptonshire field, while others say it was sunk into the Thames.

To learn more about Cromwell's head and what it tells us about his death and afterlife, The Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon has an exhibition running until March 30, 2025. You can find out more here.