BGS celebrates half a century in Keyworth

On 1 September 1976, after years of planning and numerous site visits, the Institute of Geological Sciences (which was re-named the British Geological Survey in 1984) finalised the purchase of Mary Ward College, a teacher training institute in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire. The aim was to create a centralised office to suit a multinational geological survey and global geoscience organisation. Fifty years ago this month, the first 30 members of staff moved from their offices in London and Leeds to begin BGS’s life in Keyworth.

Since moving to the Keyworth site, BGS’s headquarters, which is now home to around 500 staff, has seen many changes and milestones. One of these was the opening of the National Geological Repository (NGR) in 1985, the UK’s most comprehensive collection of geological materials, which includes more than 600 km of drillcore and 16 million specimens from the UK and its continental shelf. In 2010, the NGR underwent another transformation, with a large extension and the installation of high-density mobile racking for storing drillcore.

The Core Store and records areas were extended in 2002 using funding provided by Nirex, the Coal Authority (now the Mining Remediation Authority) and BGS’s parent body, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The funding included a contribution to the building of the new extension, the transfer of data and its re-housing, with an additional contribution to the staffing required to carry out agreed indexing and digitisation. New racking and shelving were also installed.

In 2005, BGS took a bold step into the world of virtual reality (VR), pioneering 3D visualisation in geological surveying with the installation of BGS’s first 3D visualisation facility in Keyworth, enhancing our understanding of geological formations. The site has also benefited from major sustainability investments over the past five decades, including the installation of more than 1700 solar panels in 2021 and 2022 as part of a solar carport array in the main car park.

The site has also welcomed several famous faces over the years, including broadcasters, government officials and even royalty. In 1997, HRH The Princess Royal made a visit to the BGS cartography team and she returned in 2009 to officially open the William Smith Building. In 2004, Alan Titchmarsh visited Keyworth whilst filming the BBC TV series British Isles: A Natural History and, in 2010, Sir David Attenborough was a guest speaker at the BGS 175 Symposium and celebrations, which saw BGS commemorate its 175th anniversary.

For many, BGS’s role in the Keyworth community has been central to every part of their lives.

I grew up in Keyworth and my first memory of the site was the glass window, which was part of the Mary Ward College chapel. In the winter, the window would be lit up in the dark, which you could see from the road as you drove down Nicker Hill, and this was such a sight that every Sunday we would take a detour on our way home from our grandparents’ in West Bridgford, just to see it illuminated. At this time, I didn’t yet know that this site would become BGS and that one day I would work here.

Nichola McCaugherty, BGS Enquiries assistant.

To mark the anniversary, BGS welcomed retired colleagues back to the site to launch a temporary exhibition featuring archive photographs that capture a few highlights from the organisation’s journey across the 50 years on site.

During the half-century of BGS’s presence in Keyworth, generations of staff have undertaken research that has improved understanding of the UK’s geology and helped address challenges including natural hazards and environmental change.

We are proud of our long connection with Keyworth and Nottinghamshire, and grateful for the support of the local community over the past five decades. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to the next 50 years of scientific discovery and innovation delivered as part of a vibrant and growing community.

Dr Karen Hanghøj, BGS Director.