Taylor Woodrow
Historic British construction and housebuilding company that merged with George Wimpey in 2007 to form Taylor Wimpey.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Taylor Woodrow was a major British construction, civil engineering, property development and housebuilding group. Its origins date to 1921, when the teenage Frank Taylor began building houses in Blackpool. The business acquired the Taylor Woodrow name after Taylor’s uncle, Jack Woodrow, joined the venture to address the legal and financing requirements of the young builder’s growing activities. Taylor moved the operation to London in 1930, where it expanded rapidly in private housing and began undertaking general construction work. The housebuilding companies were consolidated and floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1935 as Taylor Woodrow Estates, while Taylor Woodrow Construction was established in 1937. During the Second World War, the company suspended private housing development and concentrated on defence-related work. It built military camps, airfields, factories and components for the Mulberry harbours used in the Allied invasion of Normandy. After 1945, Taylor Woodrow developed into a broad civil engineering and construction group, taking on public and private-sector work in Britain and expanding internationally. Its overseas operations reached East and West Africa, South Africa, Australia, Canada, the United States and the Middle East. Middle Eastern contracts became particularly important during the 1960s and 1970s, including major port and dry-dock work at Port Rashid in Dubai. By the mid-1970s, overseas operations generated approximately two-thirds of group profits, according to the company’s historical account. The company’s British construction portfolio included major energy, transport, religious and commercial projects. It participated in the construction of Calder Hall, described as the world’s first commercial nuclear power station, and subsequently worked on several other British nuclear and conventional power stations. Other prominent projects included Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, terminal buildings at Heathrow Airport, St Katharine Docks in London and, as part of a consortium, the Channel Tunnel. Taylor Woodrow also developed a substantial commercial-property business, with rental income, development profits and property disposals becoming important contributors by the late 1980s. Private housing remained part of the group but was comparatively modest for much of the post-war period. The property recession of the early 1990s caused exceptional write-offs exceeding £100 million in 1991 and 1992 and prompted a strategic shift away from large-scale construction and property activities toward private housebuilding in the United Kingdom and North America. The acquisition of Heron Homes in 1994 expanded the housing operation. In 2001, Taylor Woodrow bought Bryant for £632 million, making it one of Britain’s five largest housebuilders; the housing business was subsequently associated with the Bryant brand. The 2003 acquisition of Wilson Connolly further increased annual output. In March 2007, Taylor Woodrow announced a nil-premium merger with rival housebuilder George Wimpey. The transaction was completed on 3 July 2007, creating Taylor Wimpey, with former Taylor Woodrow shareholders receiving 51% of the new company. The Taylor Woodrow corporate entity therefore ceased to operate as an independent listed group. Taylor Woodrow Construction was later sold by Taylor Wimpey to Vinci plc, the United Kingdom subsidiary of Vinci SA, in 2008 for £74 million. A successor Taylor Woodrow-branded civil engineering business was launched within Vinci Construction UK in 2011 by combining relevant operations from the former Taylor Woodrow and Vinci UK businesses.
History
Frank Taylor began building homes in Blackpool in 1921, initially constructing a pair of semi-detached houses with family capital and bank financing. Because Taylor was under the legal age for conveying land, his uncle Jack Woodrow joined the enterprise after two years, giving rise to the Taylor Woodrow name. Taylor relocated to London in 1930, where the business expanded its private housing output and entered general construction. By the middle of the 1930s, it was building roughly 1,200 to 1,500 homes annually and had developed large estates, including more than 1,000 houses at Grange Park in Hayes. The company’s housebuilding interests were consolidated in 1935 and floated as Taylor Woodrow Estates. Taylor Woodrow Construction followed in 1937. The outbreak of war ended private housing work for several years, and the company instead delivered military camps, airfields, factories and elements of the Mulberry harbour program. This wartime experience left Taylor Woodrow with substantial organizational and engineering capacity. After the war, the group expanded into civil construction in Britain and overseas. Its international work began in East Africa and later extended to West Africa, South Africa, Australia, Canada, the United States and the Middle East. The Middle East became a particularly profitable region, with the Port Rashid dry docks in Dubai among the group’s largest overseas contracts. In Britain, Taylor Woodrow built or participated in major power, transport, religious and commercial projects, including Calder Hall, several other nuclear power stations, Heathrow terminal facilities, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and St Katharine Docks. It also joined the consortium that constructed the Channel Tunnel, completed in 1994. The company’s commercial-property activities grew from the 1960s and became increasingly important by the 1980s. As Middle Eastern construction declined, rents, development income and property disposals supplied a larger share of group profits. The early-1990s property crash caused losses and write-offs exceeding £100 million across 1991 and 1992. Taylor Woodrow responded by reducing the scale of its construction business and emphasizing private housing in Britain and North America. The residential division expanded through acquisitions. Heron Homes was bought in 1994, Bryant was acquired in 2001 for £632 million, and Wilson Connolly was acquired in 2003. These transactions made Taylor Woodrow one of the United Kingdom’s leading housebuilders. In 2007, it merged with George Wimpey, creating Taylor Wimpey and ending Taylor Woodrow’s existence as an independent listed group. Taylor Woodrow Construction was subsequently sold to Vinci plc in 2008. A related civil engineering business using the Taylor Woodrow name was re-established within Vinci Construction UK in 2011.
- 2008
Taylor Woodrow Construction is sold to Vinci
[1]Vinci plc acquired the construction business from Taylor Wimpey for £74 million.
- 2007
Merger creates Taylor Wimpey
[1]Taylor Woodrow merged with George Wimpey on 3 July, ending its independent corporate identity.
- 2003
Wilson Connolly is acquired
[1]The purchase increased annual housebuilding output to nearly 10,000 units.
- 2001
Bryant is acquired
[1]The £632 million acquisition substantially expanded the group’s residential operations.
- 1994
Heron Homes is acquired
[1]The acquisition increased Taylor Woodrow’s United Kingdom housing capacity.
- 1937
Taylor Woodrow Construction is formed
[1]The dedicated construction arm was established.
- 1935
Taylor Woodrow Estates is floated
[1]The housebuilding companies were amalgamated and listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- 1930
Operations move to London
[1]The company relocated from Blackpool to London and expanded private housing and general construction.
- 1921
Frank Taylor begins housebuilding in Blackpool
[1]Frank Taylor began building homes at the age of 16, establishing the business that later became Taylor Woodrow.
Products and positioning
A diversified British construction and property group that evolved from interwar private housebuilding into international civil engineering, commercial development and, later, large-scale residential development.
Construction and civil engineering · 1937
Taylor Woodrow Construction
Taylor Woodrow Construction was the group’s principal general construction and civil engineering arm. It delivered defence facilities, power stations, transport infrastructure, commercial buildings, major public works and overseas projects. Its historical portfolio included Calder Hall, other British nuclear power stations, Heathrow terminal facilities, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, St Katharine Docks and work on the Channel Tunnel. The business was sold to Vinci in 2008 and later reconstituted within Vinci Construction UK.
Private housebuilding
Taywood Homes
Taywood Homes represented Taylor Woodrow’s residential development activity. Housing was important in the company’s origins but remained smaller than its construction and international businesses for much of the post-war era. Following the property downturn of the early 1990s, Taylor Woodrow made private housebuilding a central strategic focus and expanded it through acquisitions, including Heron Homes, Bryant and Wilson Connolly.
Property development · 1964
Commercial property development
Taylor Woodrow entered commercial property in the 1960s and developed a portfolio combining offices, investment property, rental assets and major urban projects. St Katharine Docks was a notable flagship development. By the late 1980s, property rents, development profits and sales of long-term investment properties represented a major share of group profitability.
Brand decisions
2008
Sale of Taylor Woodrow Construction to VinciM&ABackground
After the 2007 merger, Taylor Wimpey no longer retained the former group’s construction operations as a core standalone business.
Action taken
Vinci plc acquired Taylor Woodrow Construction from Taylor Wimpey.
Aftermath
The Taylor Woodrow construction name later returned through a civil engineering business within Vinci Construction UK.
Acquisition price. £74 million (2008)
2007
Merger with George WimpeyM&ABackground
Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey were long-term competitors in British housebuilding and construction.
Action taken
The companies completed a nil-premium merger through a scheme of arrangement, creating Taylor Wimpey. Taylor Woodrow shareholders received 51% of the new company.
Aftermath
Taylor Woodrow ceased to exist as an independent listed group, while the combined company became Taylor Wimpey.
Announced transaction value. Approximately £6 billion (2007)
1991
Strategic shift toward private housebuildingStrategyBackground
The early-1990s recession and collapse of the property boom produced substantial write-offs and weakened construction and property markets.
Action taken
Taylor Woodrow reduced the scale of its construction activities and placed greater emphasis on residential development in the United Kingdom and North America.
Aftermath
The shift was reinforced by the acquisitions of Heron Homes, Bryant and Wilson Connolly, making the group one of Britain’s leading housebuilders.
Sources1 sources
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