ðə lˈænd ˌɔn wˌɪtʃ ðə pɹˈɛzənt bˈɪldɪŋ wʌz kənstɹˈʌktᵻd wʌzðə tʃˈɜːtʃjɑːɹd ʌv sənt ˈɛdwɚdz tʃˈɜːtʃ fɹʌm sˈiː. wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti tˈuː tə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiːhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt; ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪtiːn, hjˈuːmən bˈoʊnz wɜː fˈaʊnd ɪnðə sˈɛlɚ wˌɪtʃ bᵻlˈɔŋd tə sˈɛvɹəl bˈɑːdiz wˌɪtʃ hɐdbɪn bˈɛɹid ɪnðə tʃˈɜːtʃjɑːɹd.
The land on which the present building was constructed was the churchyard of St Edward's church from c. 1122 to 1388; in 2018, human bones were found in the cellar which belonged to several bodies which had been buried in the churchyard.