The team at Taylor Woodrow’s Grand Union Village (GUV) development in Northolt said goodbye to a local landmark last weekend, as the Taywood Pilemaster was deconstructed to be moved to its new home.

The well-known statue of the Taywood Pilemaster has stood at Grand Union Village for over 20 years where it has served as a monument to Taylor Woodrow’s innovative new piledriver design that was first produced in 1960.

The Taywood Pilemaster was the world’s first silent piledriver, winning a Queen’s Award to Industry in 1966 for Technological Innovation. Used in construction, it drives support struts into the ground when building the foundation for buildings or other structures.

The Pilemaster came to be, following a noise complaint at a Taylor Woodrow site in Victoria Street, London. Company founder Frank Taylor asked one of his engineers if it was possible to invent a silent piledriver machine. Following a busy weekend’s work by engineer Reg Taylor, the Taywood Pilemaster was born. It was used worldwide on various projects, and was even on sale in Japan where it was manufactured under licence by Mitsubishi.

Peter Creighton, regional production director for Taylor Woodrow, said: “The Pilemaster was an important invention for the construction industry, being the first silent piledriver of its kind. The statue at GUV has always been a fitting tribute to this and represents Taylor Woodrow’s commitment to innovation and high standards. Although it’s leaving its home in Northolt, we’re pleased its legacy will be protected for years to come.”

The Pilemaster will now take its rightful place at the headquarters of the company’s engineering division in Leighton Buzzard.

Grand Union Village is one of West London’s largest regeneration schemes and sits within a stunning waterside location next to the Grand Union Canal in Northolt.