Abstract

For over 30 years UK astrophysicists have been operating experiments to search for Dark Matter 1100m below ground in a purpose-built 'low-background' facility at Boulby mine. The Boulby Underground Laboratory is one of few places in the world suited to these and other science projects requiring a 'quiet environment', free of natural background radiation. The race to find Dark Matter continues and Boulby currently supports the DRIFT/CYGNUS directional dark matter detector and operates a growing suite of high sensitivity Germanium detectors for material screening for future detectors. Meanwhile the number of science projects looking for the special properties of deep underground facilities is growing. New projects at Boulby range from astro+particle physics to geology/geophysics, climate, the environment, life extreme environments on Earth and beyond. This talk will give an overview of the Boulby Underground Laboratory, its current programme and plans for the future.