ðə dˈɑːkjuːməntᵻd hˈɪstɚɹi ʌvðə sˈaɪt ɔnðə hˈaɪ stɹˈiːt hˈæzbiːn tɹˈeɪst tə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi wˈʌn, wˌɛn lˈeɪdi kɹɪstˈiːnə pˈeɪdi bᵻkwˈiːðd ðə pɹˈɑːpɚɾi tə sənt fɹˈaɪdswaɪdz pɹˈaɪɚɹi ɪn ɹᵻtˈɜːn fɔːɹ hˌævɪŋ ɐ pɹˈaɪvət mˈæs sˈɛd fɔːɹ hɜː fɔːɹ ɪtˈɜːnᵻɾi; æt ðæt tˈaɪm ɪt hæd ɐ dwˈɛlɪŋ hˈaʊs, lˈeɪɾɚ kˈɔːld pˈɑːɹn hˈɔːl, bˌʌt ðɪs bˈɜːnd dˌaʊn ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd fˈoːɹhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti wˈʌn.
The documented history of the site on the High Street has been traced to 1241, when Lady Christina Pady bequeathed the property to St Frideswide's Priory in return for having a private mass said for her for eternity; at that time it had a dwelling house, later called Parn Hall, but this burned down in 1421.