The Ghostly, Frozen Chicken of Highgate Hill
Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher and pioneer of modern scientific thought, left an indelible mark on both philosophy and science. Bacon, who theorized that snow could preserve meat, undertook a chilling experiment in April 1626 to test his hypothesis. Tragically, he contracted pneumonia during the endeavor and succumbed to the illness.
Educated at Cambridge University and Gray’s Inn, Bacon’s political career took off when James I ascended the throne in 1603. Knighted and appointed to various positions, he eventually became the lord chancellor, the most powerful position in England. His interest in science, evident in his groundbreaking work “Novum Organum” (1620), coexisted with his political ascent.
In a peculiar turn of events, Bacon’s life intersected with the supernatural in Pond Square, Highgate. Attempting to prove the preservative properties of snow, he and Dr. Winterbourne stuffed a chicken carcass with snow in bitterly cold weather. Bacon fell seriously ill after the experiment, succumbing to the chill in a damp bed.
Since then, reports of a ghostly white bird resembling a plucked chicken have circulated around Pond Square. Air raid wardens during World War II reported sightings, with one attempting to capture the apparition, only for it to vanish into a brick wall. In 1943, witness Terence Long heard horse hooves, carriage wheels, and a loud shriek before encountering the frenzied, wing-flapping chicken.
In the 1960s, a stranded motorist and a passionate couple in the 1970s had eerie encounters with the ghostly chicken. While sightings have ceased in recent years, the legend persists, offering a blend of the supernatural and the whimsically entertaining. Critics dismissing this classic ghost tale miss the point—it’s a charming legend meant to captivate rather than prove the existence of ghosts. Perhaps, in the end, the restless spirit of the plucked chicken has found peace, concluding its curious afterlife journey.
