Ghosts, War, and DNA: The History of The Eagle
At the heart of the city of Cambridge lies one of its second oldest pubs: The Eagle, and it isn’t just known for its age. The Eagle has not only seen some of the most respected and famous researchers and scientists in history walk through its door, but it carries a rich history of its own.
The Eagle has been around since the 16th Century. It started as a coach inn for travellers coming in and out of London. In the 1850s when the railways were built in Cambridge, it instead became a local tavern and over the years it has hosted visits from the students, staff and researchers from Cambridge University.
“The Secret of Life.”
In 1874, the Cavendish Laboratory was built on Free School Lane, near to the Eagle. As a result, over the years the Eagle saw many experimental physicists come through the door for a pint, including Francis Crick.
Francis Crick was one of the scientists who discovered DNA — along with James Watson. It was in the Eagle, on the 28th February 1953, that he announced he and Watson had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA. He had told the pubs patrons that he and Watson had “discovered the secret to life.”
When visiting the pub now, you can find a plaque next to the door to remember the moment.
The Allies and Graffiti
If you walk into the Eagle today and look up, you will see names and numbers covering almost every inch of the ceiling.
During World War II, the Eagle became a haven for RAF and American airmen, who spent their free-time drinking and socialising there. It’s unclear what lead them to do it — but, at some point during the war, the pilots used candles and lighters to burn their names and squadron numbers onto the ceiling of the pub.
Unfortunately, after the war, the graffiti was hidden by a build up of dirt and smoke, but when the ceiling was cleaned and the graffiti was rediscovered, it was quickly preserved for people to view for years to come.
Don’t Close The Window…
According to the company who owns the Eagle, Greene King, the open window above the pub garden is keeping the pub safe from spirits — and must remain open at all times.
Their haunted pub guide states that ‘a window above the garden at the Eagle in Cambridge is permanently fixed open, and it is written in the lease that the window must remain so’
But why?
In the guide, they explain that around 300 years ago, there was a fire in the building. Three children were unfortunately unable to escape, and died in the fire. According to Greene King, they continue to haunt the pub today.
The window is kept open so that the children’s ghosts can come and go as they please — and if it is closed, strange things will happen.
One account, recorded in the guide, says that if the window is shut, everyone in the pub will experience a feeling of suffocation.
Whether this is true or not, the pub’s window does, in fact, always remain open, and is another layer to the rich history the Eagle holds.
So, next time you’re visiting Cambridge, be sure to visit the Eagle to stand where the discovery of DNA was first announced. While you drink your pint, take a look above at the RAF soldier’s graffiti — but whatever you do (no matter how cold it is), do not shut the window.
SOURCES:
‘DNA Discovery’ Historic Pub to be Revamped — BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-45762636
About The Pub, Eagle — Greene King Local Pubs https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pubs/cambridgeshire/eagle/about-the-pub/
The Eagle: The Spine Chilling Ghost Story Behind One Of Cambridge’s Best Loved Pubs — Cambridgeshire Live https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/eagle-pub-cambridge-haunted-window-18884735
