Small housebuilders are being pushed to the brink. What would the late Duncan Davidson do in this market?

By Denise Chevin2025-11-07T07:00:00

Persimmon’s founder once embodied the bold spirit of the industry - a spirit Denise Chevin argues is now being stifled by rising costs, red tape and planning inflexibility

When Duncan Davidson died last month, the Daily Telegraph obituary captured something of a vanished world. A former page at Elizabeth II’s coronation, he joined George Wimpey as a trainee in 1963 before striking out on his own.

Two years later, armed with “money borrowed from his fiancée’s trust fund, the limited experience of his Wimpey apprenticeship and what he once called the arrogance of youth”, he launched Ryedale Homes in North Yorkshire. He sold it in 1972 and used the proceeds to found Persimmon, which became one of Britain’s best-known housebuilders and the first pure builder listed on the Stock Exchange.

Already registered? Login here

To continue enjoying Building.co.uk, sign up for free guest access

Existing subscriber? LOGIN

Stay at the forefront of thought leadership with news and analysis from award-winning journalists. Enjoy company features, CEO interviews, architectural reviews, technical project know-how and the latest innovations.

Limited access to building.co.uk
Breaking industry news as it happens
Breaking, daily and weekly e-newsletters

Get your free guest access SIGN UP TODAY

Subscribe now for unlimited access

Subscribe to Building today and you will benefit from:

Unlimited access to all stories including expert analysis and comment from industry leaders
Our league tables, cost models and economics data
Our online archive of over 10,000 articles
Building magazine digital editions
Building magazine print editions
Printed/digital supplements

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

View our subscription options and join our community