Fernhurst Research Station

The Fernhurst Research Station was a crop protection chemical research institute in West Sussex, mainly run by ICI, for the fruit industry.

Fernhurst Research Station[1]
Location within West Sussex
Former namesFernhurst Research Centre
Alternative namesICI Fernhurst, Plant Protection Fernhurst
General information
TypeChemical Research Centre
AddressFernhurst, West Sussex, GU27 3ER
Coordinates51.03°N 0.72°W / 51.03; -0.72
Elevation80 m (262 ft)
Current tenantsVacated
Completed1945
ClientICI
OwnerICI Plant Protection
LandlordICI Plant Protection

History

Plant Protection Limited moved to this site in 1945 and opened a research institute on the estate of Sir Felix Schuster (1854-1936). The research institute was to investigate pest and disease control, and was also known as a horticultural research station. In June 1951 an international conference, with scientists from 39 countries, took place at the site on food scarcity.[2] On 10 May 1955, the site was visited by the Duke of Edinburgh. Another international conference took place at the site in June 1956.

In 1958 Plant Protection Limited became a wholly owned subsidiary of ICI: ICI Plant Protection Division,[3] which had its international headquarters at the site until the 1990s; in 1986 a new international conference centre had been opened on the site by the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. ICI Public Health was formed in 1989 and situated at the site.

In April 1990, the site won a Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for herbicides, fungicides and pesticides.[4]

Zeneca

It became part of Zeneca in 1994.

Syngenta

It became part of Syngenta. It became the headquarters of Syngenta Europe Ltd.[5] Syngenta left the site in December 2001. This site is mostly still present.

Structure

It was situated to the east of the A286, around a mile north of the east-west Serpent Trail.

Function

As well as being an administrative site, the station undertook research on horticultural crops. It had a 60-acre orchard with 9 acres of plums and 26 acres of dessert apples. Around 700 people worked at the site.

See also

References
  1. New Scientist February 1984
  2. Times, 26 June 1951, page 2
  3. Peacock, F.C., ed. (1978). Jealott's Hill : fifty years of agricultural research. Bracknell: Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. pp. 5. ISBN 9780901747013.
  4. Times, Saturday 21 April 1990, page 36
  5. Companies House
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