31/07/2026
Think Game of Thrones was brutal? 💀
London Bridge really displayed the tarred heads of executed traitors on spikes above its entrance as a warning to anyone who defied the Crown.
Swipe across this extraordinary 1616 engraving by Dutch artist John Visscher, one of the most detailed surviving panoramic views of London before the Great Fire of 1666 transformed the medieval city.
At the time, London Bridge wasn’t just a bridge—it was a bustling street lined with houses, shops and businesses, and the only bridge across the River Thames in London.
Can you spot:
🔍 The crowded buildings on the bridge
💀 The bridge gate displaying the heads of executed traitors
⛵ The busy Thames filled with merchant ships, ferries and barges
⛪ Southwark Cathedral in the foreground
🏙️ A skyline dominated by church spires and medieval buildings
It’s an extraordinary snapshot of a London that disappeared more than 350 years ago.
Which detail caught your eye first?