In 1837 William Woodsend came to Nottingham from Saxibly in Lincolnshire. That year he established a building business on the Toll House Hill, Chapel Bar. Today William Woodsend Ltd. is one of Nottingham's best known building firms.

William's son, James William Woodsend, was an architect who won the National Silver Award for architecture in 1871; four years later he took over the business and the company expanded, moving first to Castlegate and then, in 1898, to premises on Castle Boulevard.

Imported timber for the company now arrived directly at Newcastle Wharf, brought along the Nottingham Canal after having been unloaded from ships in Hull.

The third generation of the Woodsends, Jack and Arthur had joined the business in 1900. In remembrance of its founder the firm built the William Woodsend Memorial Homes in Derby Road in 1913.

In Edwardian times the company developed a stone mason's department; after the first world war it was commissioned to build the war memorial on the Trent Embankment.

The company would go on to build the John Player No 2 factory in 1930 and carry out major works on the old General Hospital. Despite the hard times some building work was still found during the Depression, not least the refurbishment of the Black Boy Hotel in 1935.

John Woodsend joined the company in 1946 and retired in 1988. The company is run by Charles Woodsend who has been working for the family firm since 1972; the business is involved in new building, refurbishment and insurance works and today counts the local county councils and the Belvoir estate amongst its many clients.

William Woodsend Limited • enquiries@williamwoodsend.co.uk