Image Collection Natural Environment Research Council
A colour aerial photo of the sea, very dark blue to the left and white from the glare of the sun on the right. In the middle a thin peninsula covered in brown grass extends into the sea. It has white cliffs and ends in a series of individual stacks.

The Needles, Isle of Wight
Collection: NERC, Sortie: ARSF/1995/15, Frame: 8049 (21 July 1995)

Natural Environment Research Council

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Collection contains over 27,300 aerial photographs taken on behalf of the British Geological Survey to assist its research programmes. There are a further 233,000 aerial photographs and associated data from the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) of the Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews.

A colour aerial photo of a muddy brown landscape. Patches of white snow and ice are visible to the top left. At the top right and bottom left two white tongues of ice stretch into the brown landscape.
The snouts of the Gullfaksebreen and Rimfaksebreen glaciers, Svalbard; Collection: NERC, Sortie: ARSF/2005/03, Frame: 5402 (17 July 2005)

History

The British Geological Survey (BGS) was initially founded as the Geological Survey of Great Britain in 1835. In 1965, the Geological Survey of Great Britain merged with several other organisations to form the Institute of Geological Sciences under the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is one of nine research bodies that falls under UK Research and Innovation and has a particular focus on environmental sciences.

The Institute of Geological Sciences became the British Geological Survey in 1984. In 1981, the BGS began contracting the commercial survey firms Hunting Surveys Ltd and J A Story Ltd to take aerial photographs for research purposes. NERC – the parent organisation of BGS – acquired its own aerial survey capability in 1983.

Originally using a Piper PA31 Navajo Chieftain (and later a Dornier DO 228-101), the Airborne Research and Survey Facility (ARSF), provided NERC with the ability to use a variety of airborne instruments and sensors to collect data for a multitude of environmental research projects. From 1983 to 2005, the ARSF collected aerial photography on behalf of the BGS. The resulting negative films were processed by the aerial survey company Simmons Aerofilms, while the production of prints and enlargements and any required film scanning was carried out by BKS Surveys.

A colour aerial photo of Venice. Densely packed red roofs sit on an island surrounded by a lagoon of green-grey water. A railway joins the island from the image’s left edge. A large canal curls through the centre of the island.
Venice, Italy; Collection: NERC, Sortie: ARSF/2005/03, Frame: 5267 (17 July 2005)

The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) was established in 1978 by NERC from the merger of the Seals Research Division and Whale Research Unit. Originally based in Cambridge, SMRU moved to the University of St Andrews in 1996 where it functions as an independent research group and a NERC National Capability Delivery Partner.

Under its Royal Charter, NERC is required to supply advice to the UK Government on matters relating to the management of seals in the UK and its sovereign waters. SMRU was created to ensure that NERC was able to fulfil these requirements and this continues to be one of SMRU’s central roles.

A colour aerial photo of a river running from top to bottom. The river has flooded and muddy water covers the fields either side. There are houses in the top right corner and a road runs across the bottom. There are green fields on the left side.
The River Ouse in York, following widespread flooding; Collection: NERC, Sortie: ARSF/1995/01, Frame: 0107 (02 February 1995)

Acquisition

The ARSF was transferred to the management of the British Antarctic Survey in 2014, where it was renamed the NERC Airborne Research Facility (ARF). The original NERC aerial survey film archive – including photographs taken by the ARSF and survey companies – continued to be held by the BGS until 2015 when it was transferred to the care of the National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP).

The SMRU collection was held by the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews from its creation until it was deposited with NCAP in 2024.

A colour aerial photo of a river running from top to bottom. The river has not flooded. There are houses in the top right corner and a road runs across the bottom. There are green and brown fields on the left side.
The River Ouse in York, showing the same area as above six months later; Collection: NERC, Sortie: ARSF/1995/19, Frame: 9023 (09 August 1995)

Scope

Dating from 1946-2022, the Collection includes photographs of locations in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Svalbard, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

Geographical coverage
Bolivia Kenya Solomon Islands
Brazil Malawi Spain
Brunei Malaysia Sweden
Canada Netherlands Tanzania
Cyprus Northern Ireland Trinidad and Tobago
England Norway Uganda
Fiji Oman USA
Greece Peru Wales
Honduras Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Yemen
Iceland Scotland Zimbabwe
Jamaica Slovakia

Collection contents

The Collection is made up of:

  • over 260,000 print, digital and film aerial photographs

Air Photo Finder

The Collection has been digitised and is available to view on the Air Photo Finder. 

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ArchivesSpace

Visit ArchivesSpace to learn about the Collection hierarchy. 

Air Photo Finder  Subscriptions  ArchivesSpace - external 

 

IN THIS SECTION

A black and white aerial photo of about a dozen ships pulled up on a beach. The land beyond the beach has been divided up into a grid, and the scene is slightly obscured by clouds or smoke.

Allied Central Interpretation Unit

The ACIU Collection is home to 5.5 million photographic reconnaissance images taken during the Second World War, providing a visual record of occupied Western Europe.

A colour aerial photo of the Wimbledon area in London. Streets of houses are visible at the right and left edges. A golf course with bunkers and trees occupies the middle. To the left of centre are about 20 tennis courts and a tennis stadium.

British Aerial Survey Firms

NCAP has extensive holdings of photography taken by several important British aerial survey companies over a period of 50 years.

A black and white aerial photo of a city on the edge of the sea. There are buildings and an industrial area in the centre and fields to the right. The photo has been marked with purple pencil highlighting blocks of buildings.

Defence Geographic Centre

The DGC Collection contains aerial photographs of locations around the world, originally used to create maps for issue to British and Commonwealth forces.

A black and white aerial photo of a city. The streets are arranged in a grid. There is a coastline to the right with an area of dark sea at the right-hand edge. To the left are two meandering watercourses and an area of undeveloped wetland.

Directorate of Overseas Surveys

The DOS Collection provides a unique historical perspective, recording the changing landscapes of much of the Commonwealth throughout the 20th century.

A black and white aerial photo of coastal wetlands. The image has the appearance of abstract swirls and patterns in shades of black, white and grey. There seem to be a few trees in the centre and an area of water to the left.

Environment Agency

The EA Collection is a valuable record of the quickly changing coastal landscapes of the south-east of England, from Bournemouth round to Gravesend.

A black and white aerial photomap of a town surrounded by an irregular grid of black and white fields. The photomap is annotated with place names – including Stargard, the name of the town – and is overlaid with numbered map grid squares.

German Air Force

The GX Collection contains photos taken by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, which were then used for intelligence purposes during the Cold War.

An oblique black and white aerial photo of a city with a coastline. The sea is at the bottom left corner. A small number of ships are on the water. The city is made up of what appears to be low-rise apartment blocks. There is a park in the centre.

Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre

The JARIC Collection holds millions of Cold War reconnaissance images and forms unique record of British interests and activities.

A black and white aerial photo of 17 planes at an airfield. The planes are all situated in bays off two tracks running vertically through the image – one light-coloured and one dark. The planes and tracks are surrounded by featureless fields.

Mediterranean Allied Photo Reconnaissance Wing

The MAPRW Collection contains c.150,000 aerial photographs taken during WWII by Allied units operating from North Africa and Italy.

A colour aerial photo with a park containing trees and red paths at the left, and Buckingham Palace in the bottom left corner. The River Thames is to the right with the London Eye lying flat over it. The shadow of Big Ben is to the right of centre.

Millennium Mapping

NCAP is home to the Getmapping and UK Perspectives Collections, two parallel projects to create a visual record of the UK at the turn of the millennium.

A black and white oblique aerial photo of an airborne plane from side-on. The plane has one propellor and a see-through cockpit with the pilot visible. There is a rear-facing gun turret, and the fuselage is marked with an American star and ‘312’.

National Archives and Records Administration

The NARA Collection contains worldwide imagery digitised as part of a partnership with the United States National Archives and Records Administration.

A colour aerial photo of islands surrounded by a deep blue sea. There is one big island left of centre and a small one to the right. The islands have green grass and a mix of rocky and sandy shores. The sea is light blue over the sand.

Scottish Office Air Photographs Unit

The Scottish Office APU Collection provides a remarkable, 100-year record of Scotland’s changing landscapes from 1.5 million aerial photos of Scotland.