About us
A single point for accessing and promoting the records of the UK civil nuclear industry
NDA Archives Limited (NDAAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), is responsible for Nucleus: the Nuclear and Caithness Archives, a purpose-built facility to manage the records of the UK civil nuclear industry.
Located in Wick, Nucleus has a dual role. As well as housing nuclear records, the facility contains records from the Caithness archive. Visitors are warmly welcomed to the facility or can request records remotely by using our contact form. Further useful resources are available below.
300,000
Photographs transferred from Dounreay alone
80,000
Boxes of archived records to be curated from Sellafield
26 km
Of shelving has been installed to
store the material
The nuclear archive
Nuclear records from across the NDA estate are currently being transferred and indexed. Access to nuclear documents will become available over time and the collections page will be updated as more records become available. In the meantime, visitors are warmly welcomed to the public searchroom and documents can be requested electronically.
The Caithness archive
Nucleus houses the historical archives of the county of Caithness, dating from 1469 to the present day. These historic collections are available to members of the public for family and local history research.
Resources
Here are some helpful links to additional policies, guides, and general information about archives and records.
Acquisition Policy
The NDA Acquisition Policy is the foundation for the identification of the type of materials the Nucleus archive will collect and the conditions or terms which affect the acquisition of such materials. NDA Archive Acquisition Policy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Donations Policy
Nucleus holds a wide range of material relating to work of the NDA in decommissioning nuclear sites, together with the permanent preservation of historic NDA records. Here is the donations policy.NDA Archive Donations Policy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Information Asset Register
NDA’s Information Asset Register (IAR) is a table of information relating to the important datasets for which the NDA is responsible. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Information Asset Register – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Metadata Standards
These requirements apply to custodians of information in the NDA estate and organisations responsible for managing UK radioactive waste. IMP06 Managing NDA Information: Requirements – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Records Retention Schedule
This schedule has been updated according to Acts of Parliament, Statutory Instruments and current business practices. NDA records retention schedule – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Subject Access Requests
This procedure defines the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s process when a request for access to personal data is received. NDA Subject Access Request Procedure – Data Protection – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Your Guide to Freedom of Information Requests
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has compiled this useful guide explaining how to access information from a public authority, including how to make a request, what to expect after making the request, and what to do if you’re dissatisfied with the response.
Your Guide to the Public Records Act
The National Archives have produced a helpful page all about the legislation on public records access and its history. Public Records Act – The National Archives
