The Chicken Ghost of Pond Square London Traditional Geocache

One extremely cold day in 1626, Sir Francis Bacon was passing Pond Square in his carriage with a friend. Bacon was arguing his new idea of preserving food, whereby instead of salting meat, it might be possible to keep it so cold that it did not deteriorate. His friend, the king’s physician, didn’t agree, but nevertheless, Bacon obtained a chicken at a local Highgate farm, plucked and cleaned it, and packed it with snow, inside and out. Unfortunately for Bacon, his foray into the cold turned into a bout of pneumonia, which finished him off.

 

Soon after his death, news of a half-plucked chicken running around at Pond Square was reported. The chicken would allegedly vanish when anyone tried to approach it, and sightings continued throughout the years. For example, in World War II, wardens tried to capture it, but it ran through a wall to escape. Around the same time, a passerby heard what sounded like a coach and horses, but nothing was there to be seen except for a chicken running around in circles. It was also seen in the 1970s by a couple stealing a goodnight kiss in a nearby doorway.

 

About CREW:

The CREW Land and Water Trust is a private, non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of the water resources and natural communities in and around the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW). This 60,000-acre watershed in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District (which owns and manages the land) and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (which monitors wildlife, hunting, and provides law enforcement on CREW). CREW is the largest intact watershed in southwest Florida, straddling Lee and Collier Counties. CREW’s majestic 5,000-acre sawgrass marsh is the headwaters for the entire watershed.

Thanks to CREW's Executive Director, Bob Lucius and the staff at CREW as well as South Florida Water Management District for allowing us to use the CREW trails for geocaching.