Our History

Henry Boot Construction is part of the 130-year-old Henry Boot Group of Companies.

Henry Boot, the son of Sheffield-based farmer Charles Boot, launched his own building firm in 1886 and initially worked as a sole trader. From these humble roots, Henry Boot has grown to become one of the leading property and construction groups in the UK. The family values that have helped our company succeed are still integral to the business today.

Discover more about our distinguished history (PDF, 4.23 MB)

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Henry Boot, our founder.
From 1919-1939, Henry Boot built over 80,000 houses, many more than any other contractor in the UK.
During WW1, significant projects included aerodromes, hospitals, an army camp, a naval base and the Calshot Seaplane Base.
In 1927 Henry Boot began a land reclamation and irrigation project in Greece worth £10m (1927 value).
In 1936, Pinewood Studios was designed and built in Buckinghamshire.
During WW2, the company built over 1,000 military buildings and 50 miles of roads and sewers, including construction of Mulberry and Gooseberry harbours.
Overseas work in the 1970s saw construction of the Mass Transit Railway in Hong Kong and other projects in the Far East.
Princess Diana opened the new Royal Preston Hospital, constructed by Henry Boot in 1983.