Devon Contractors

19/10/2026

06/10/2026

TIME CAPSULE BURIAL | MEADOW VIEW 💚

Last week, we held our final big family event at Meadow View, burying the official time capsule, which will be opened in 25 years’ time.

It was brilliant to see so many of our supporters there, and of course our amazing service users, who have become such a special part of the Meadow View journey.
The time capsule captures a little piece of 2026, memories, photographs, messages and moments from the project that we hope will be enjoyed when it is opened in 2051.

MEADOW VIEW BY THE NUMBERS
The timber frame alone has some impressive numbers behind it:
🌲 2,160m² – total area across the three buildings
🧱 984m² – external wall area
📏 1,359m – wall panels
🌲 22,555m – total length of timber components
➡️ That's 22.5km of timber – nearly 65 times around Argyle’s pitch!
🌳 258m³ – Scandinavian softwood
🌍 232 tonnes of CO₂ – carbon stored in the timber

And, of course, the numbers behind the social value delivered are just as important:
16 work placements | 13 jobs created | 22 CCIAG events | 381 training weeks and employed 1 new apprentice for DC | 18 qualifications | 7 case studies (including a full TOMS social value submission)
Plus DUCTU (SEN/SEMH) Have a Go sessions reaching 55 students across five schools, university and college visits, work experience, school assemblies, community activities, donations and much more.

Because social value isn't something we do because we have to. We do it because we want to.

A huge thank you to our site teams, subcontractors, suppliers, consultants, client team and everyone who has gone above and beyond throughout the Meadow View journey.

As we move ever closer to completion, we are incredibly proud of what the whole Meadow View family has achieved.

Nigel Whelan FCIOB Managing Director, Devon Contractors said : “Meadow View has been an incredible project for Devon Contractors. A huge thank you to our client, project team, site teams, subcontractors, suppliers, consultants and everyone who has played a part. The skill, commitment and willingness to go above and beyond has been outstanding. Most importantly, we know who we are building this for. The relationships we have developed with the service users, staff and families have made this project genuinely personal to us. We are incredibly proud of what everyone has achieved together.”

25/09/2026

🎉 40 YEARS OF DEVON CONTRACTORS | CONGRATULATIONS NICK!

This week, we’re celebrating a very special milestone as Nick England marks an incredible 40 years with Devon Contractors! 💚
That’s half of our 80-year history, which is an amazing achievement and one we’re incredibly proud to celebrate. Nick joined Devon Contractors in September 1987 as a Trainee Construction Technician, after deciding that A Levels weren’t quite the route for him! As Nick puts it: “£48 a fortnight… why wouldn’t you? Saying that, a pint was only 99p!”
From those early days, Nick studied for his ONC and HNC and built a career spanning four decades. Nick remembers one of his first projects being managed with a bag of coins for the local telephone box, a far cry from today’s expectations.

Over 40 years, Nick has worked on a huge range of projects and built strong, long-standing relationships with colleagues, clients and the wider construction industry. Three projects Nick particularly remembers as great examples of project delivery are The Army Cadet Centre in Exmouth, Thatchers C***r Plant and the Screwfix development in Liverton, all featured in our collage.

Today, Nick continues to be a hugely valued member of the Devon Contractors team and is currently Project Manager for our works at the University of Exeter’s Harrison Building.. And there’s another lovely connection to Devon Contractors…

Nick’s son, James, is part of our team too, following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a valued member of the business. 💚
Nick says: “I have met some lovely people… work colleagues and customers. My wife, Elaine does say everywhere I go I bump into people from the industry!! You know when you’re getting old when you attend a safety course and everyone else on the course wasn’t even born when I joined DC!”

A message from our Managing Director, Nigel Whelan: “Thank you Nick for your service to date, and for everything you do for Devon Contractors. Thank you for consistently waving the DC flag.”

Congratulations Nick on 40 years! 🎉

21/09/2026

🏗️ A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY… | 80 YEARS OF DEVON CONTRACTORS

This year we celebrate 80 years of Devon Contractors, and we’ve taken a look back at where our story began.

Founded in Exeter in 1946 by the Murrin family, Devon Contractors was established during a period of rebuilding and revival, following the Second World War. Our early history reflects the changing needs of the region, from agricultural buildings, barns and industrial structures to local schools and other community developments.

One of the things we love about this old brochure is seeing the range of work we were delivering all those years ago. The photographs capture not just buildings, but a snapshot of the construction industry and the communities we were helping to build.

Over the decades, we've continued to evolve, expanding into new sectors and embracing modern construction methods, technology and sustainability.

But the foundations of our business remains the same: Trust, Quality Workmanship, Strong Relationships and Pride in what we deliver.

From the barns and buildings of our early years to the diverse projects we deliver today, we're proud to carry forward the legacy of those who came before us.

Here's to the past, the present and the future of Devon Contractors. 💚

18/09/2026

🏆 Double Award Recognition for Langage South – Beaumont Way!

A fantastic achievement for the entire project team at Langage South, Beaumont Way, with double awards.

We’re delighted to share that the development of four commercial units (BREEAM Excellent & Net Zero Carbon) has received recognition in the:
🏆 LABC Non-Residential Building Regional Award 2026 – Winner
🏆 Devon Building Control Building Excellence Awards 2026 – Award recipient

We’re looking forward to attending the Devon Building Control Building Excellence Awards later this month, where we’ll find out which award the project has received.

This recognition celebrates the hard work, collaboration and commitment of the whole project team, alongside our clients, consultants and supply chain partners.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in bringing Langage South to life. 👏

Devon Contractors, Built on Trust, Powered by Experience. 💚

02/09/2026

⚽ A night at St James Park

Last night, Devon Contractors were proud to be Match Ball Sponsors at Exeter City FC as the Grecians welcomed Barnet to St James Park.

It was another fantastic evening at what feels very much like our second home. We’ve been proud to support Exeter City for around 20 years, and our connection with the club remains something we value enormously.

There was plenty to enjoy on the pitch too, as Exeter battled back to earn a 1–1 draw with Barnet, with Reece Cole finding the equaliser in the second half. A well-deserved point, that could have been more, but an entertaining match nonetheless. 👏

It was also great to spend the evening with members of the Exeter City team, fellow sponsors and partners, and to see our Devon Contractors branding around the stadium.

We’re proud to support our local club, proud of our long-standing connection with Exeter City, and proud to be part of the community we’ve called home for more than 80 years.

Well done, and Up The City! 🔴⚪



Exeter City Football Club

19/08/2026

New development begins at Bridgwater Gateway

We’re delighted to have officially broken ground on Units 1611–1615, marking our third project at Bridgwater Gateway.

As Principal Contractor, we’re proud to be working alongside gateway, , meek architects and +coles to deliver the next phase of this growing commercial development.

It’s fantastic to see the project officially get underway.

Read the full story below 👇
https://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/news/26473257.bridgwater-gateway-begins-next-stage-construction/

13/08/2026

Meadow View | A project that means so much to us…

Yesterday, we welcomed service users back to Meadow View to visit their new facility – and it was fantastic to see how excited they are about the facility taking shape.

There were lots of questions, plenty of smiles and a real sense that this is starting to feel like their building.

The project is progressing quickly, as we move towards completion:

🔹 The courtyard is progressing, with tarmac due next week and resin planned for later this month
🔹 Second-fix carpentry is well underway internally
🔹 Latex flooring preparation has commenced ahead of the final floor finishes
🔹 Plantrooms are nearing completion
🔹 Second-fix lighting is being installed
🔹 The robust rooms have been ply-lined ready for boarding
🔹 The car port and colonnade roofs are now being installed
🔹 The site teams are very hot and cooling down with regular ice creams

Social value has been a huge part of Meadow View

We are now over 90% through our Social Value Plan, delivering opportunities that go far beyond the construction itself.

So far, we've achieved:

16 work placements | 16 jobs created | 22 careers & education activities | 272 training weeks | 29 qualifications | 11+ apprentices supported

We've also welcomed DUCTU students to site, created a paid opportunity through PLUSS, delivered Mission Meadow View activities and brought service users, families and the local community into the project through events, including our topping-out celebration and time capsule and tree planting initiatives.

But for us, social value isn't just about numbers.

It's about the people we've met, the relationships we've built and seeing the excitement of those who will ultimately call Meadow View home.

There is still plenty to do, but our teams are working incredibly hard to deliver a facility that is the best of the best for its future residents.

We ❤ Meadow View.



Plymouth City Council

30/07/2026

A major milestone achieved at our Turnstyle project in Barnstaple.

Yesterday our team successfully completed one of the largest concrete pours on the project, with works beginning before sunrise and finishing in the early hours of this morning.

🏗️ Pump on site from 6:00am
🕖 Concrete pour started at 7:00am
🏁 Pour completed at 5:30pm
✨ Ride-on power floating completed at 2:00am

A total of 192.5m³ of concrete was placed, almost exactly matching our planned volume of 192m³, a testament to the detailed planning and coordination between our site team, supply chain and specialist contractors.

Quality remained a priority throughout the day, with:
✔️ Concrete mix compliance checked on every load
✔️ Cube testing carried out throughout the pour as part of our quality assurance process
✔️ Building Control having previously inspected and approved the slab build-up ahead of the pour

The finished slab looks fantastic and marks another significant step forward as we continue delivering Turnstyle's new manufacturing facility in North Devon.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this milestone such a success.