The laboratory began operations in 1962 and was officially opened on 16 June 1967 as the Daresbury Nuclear Physics Laboratory (DNPL) by the then Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Harold Wilson.

[2] It is operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.

As of 2018, it employs around 300 staff,[1] with Paul Vernon appointed as director in November 2020,[3] taking over from Professor Susan Smith who had been director from 2012.

Daresbury Laboratory carries out research in fields such as accelerator science, bio-medicine, physics, chemistry, materials, engineering and computational science.

[1] In 2009 the laboratory was awarded the title of the "Most Outstanding Science Park" at the UK Science Parks Association.