Menu
Close
Sign up for NPL updates
Close
Sign up for NPL updates

For people, place, prosperity and planet, we deliver impact with measurement science

  • Home
  • Celebrating 125 years

Celebrating 125 years of impact

Celebrate with us

In 2025, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is celebrating 125 years of impact and innovation. 

From our inception in 1900, with a team of 22 scientists and engineers focussed on standardising instruments, testing materials and determining physical constants at Bushy House, we have gone on a monumental journey. 

Fast forward 125 years, our 1,000+ strong workforce has cemented NPL as a world-class centre of excellence, proudly responsible for maintaining the UK’s primary measurement standards and improving prosperity and quality of life the world over.

We take great pride in our heritage and where we have been, the impact our world-class expertise is making on today's communities and the legacy this will create for future generations.

Join in our 125 anniversary celebrations and stay up to date on the latest news and events.

Tell us your story

Our community and alumni have been instrumental to our success over the past 125 years. We’d love to hear your experience from the distant, or recent past.

Tell us your story

 

Join us for events throughout 2025 🗓️

Throughout 2025 we are hosting a various events to celebrate our milestone anniversary. Save the dates and sign up to our mailing list to make sure you don’t miss out when registration opens. 

Bushy House garden party  
Saturday 13 September
11:00-16:00 

Step back in time and join us for a celebration reminiscent of the garden parties of eras gone by. Pack a picnic and join us at this family friendly event suitable for all ages.

Discover the history of NPL by peeking behind the closed doors of Bushy House and it's laboratories, meet and interact with icons of the past, explore our iconic gardens and enjoy music from the NPL band. For a fully immersive experience, fancy dress reflecting the past 125 years is encouraged but not essential.

Book your tickets

How long is a piece of string? LIVE 

Fancy hearing some of our scientists chat through their expert knowledge to tackle big questions from time travel to history’s greatest scientific icons?

Come along to How long is a piece of string LIVE, our exciting talks programme exploring all kinds of topics throughout 2025. 

Sign up to our mailing list for more information

History of science and scientists
Thursday 4 September - 18:30-21:00
NPL and online 

SI units
Thursday 4 December - 18:30-21:00
NPL and online

 

UK Outreach Tour - It's all science to me

We are taking our exciting outreach talks, demonstrations and exhibitions on the road to explain the impact of metrology. 

2025 is a big year and we are celebrating NPL’s 125th anniversary, the 150th anniversary of the signing of the metre convention and the Year of Quantum!

Join us and meet inspiring experts from NPL.

Map of UK, highlighting upcoming outreach tour dates



Orkney International Science Festival
Orkney
5 - 7 September

Bradford Science Festival
Bradford
24 October - 2 November


Famous faces

Many of the world’s most renowned scientists have worked at NPL, including Robert Watson-Watt, Donald Davies, and Alan Turing.

Explore more famous faces

Our history

NPL was established in 1900. We have been making world-leading discoveries ever since.

Learn more about our history

Delivering impact

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) provides world-leading measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life.

Learn more about how we deliver impact

Are you the future
of NPL?

Be part of something amazing.

Apply today

How long is a piece of string? - Past events

Science and sports | 6 March 2025

Stay tuned to our YouTube channel to watch back on the science of rugby, running and rowing.

Mythbusting with metrology | 6 June

Watch the stream back and hear our scientists bust head-scratching myths about sea levels rising, killer whales, sci-fi films, cutting-edge AI and more!