Notre Dame: construction’s priceless contribution to history captivates the world

As a fellow country with buildings and structures that date back hundreds of years forming part of our national identity, we share in the grief of Parisians.

A fire engulfed the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which resulted in the destruction of the 850-year old external timber roof and the collapse of the iconic spire.

The fire broke out shortly after 6.30pm in the roof space surrounding the spire, which was enveloped in scaffolding used to carry out major renovation works, and quickly spread out throughout the evening. Firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to the two towers.

As a fellow country with buildings and structures that date back hundreds of years forming part of our national identity, we share in the grief of Parisians, when looking at the damage caused to one of France’s most iconic symbols. However, we are confident that, with the right skills, this historic landmark can be sympathetically restored to continue to delight millions of visitors in years to come.

Clare Watson, chair of the NFB Heritage Group, said: “We understand the anguish of seeing such an important landmark destroyed so quickly while being witnessed in real time across the world. In a time of global and political divisions, let us not forget how important Notre Dame was and will be, as a symbol of national identity, of religion and as a feat of architecture. This building brought people together.

National Federation of Builders

The National Federation of Builders is a United Kingdom trade association representing the interests of small and medium-sized building contractors in England and Wales.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

High Quality Modular Homes for the UK

Are you looking for added accommodation space in your garden / on your land? Modular Living Homes by tutumHOUSE offer a new way to live – minimalist in form, rich in experience. “There are approximately 9.6 million homes in the UK with a garden shed, and around 52% of the population owns one.” asgardsss There…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

The most stressful places to move to in the UK

With more people in the UK moving homes during summer than any other season and the average cost of moving in the UK rising to over £14,000, picking the right place to move to has become more crucial than ever. Luckily, new research from Pay Less for Storage reveals the UK cities that make life easiest…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Time-Traveling Estate Agent Sequel Climbs Amazon Charts

A UK Estate Agent Currently Bringing Joy to People’s Lives – Shame He’s Fictional…   Eric Meek, the fictional estate agent created by author Dale Bradford, is back for a second outing in The Time‑Travelling Estate Agent 2, a sequel that is already climbing Amazon’s bestselling time‑travel rankings. Estate agents were recently highlighted as the third…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Is it finally time for lenders to back green homes?

Andrew Smith weighs the risks and rewards Property developers are increasingly pitching green homes to lenders; however, with sales cycles slowing down and repair costs rising, is now the right time to back sustainable builds and at what price point is there market demand? Sustainability is continuing to shape our future of construction with the…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 24/07/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   OpticWise – digital infrastructure in commercial real estate If your building were a product, how would it perform on the user experience scale?  Week 9: Experience as Infrastructure – Designing for Human-Centric Buildings Welcome to Week 9 of our 52-week journey into the future…
Read More
new build homes colchester essex
Breaking News

UK Housebuilding Falters as Construction Hiring Flatlines

New research from Inventory Base reveals that UK construction industry employment has increased by almost 11% in the past five years, but there has been less than 1% growth in the past 12 months. Inventory Base’s analysis of the UK construction industry shows that in 2024 (latest data available) it employed an estimated total of…
Read More