The Forest Products Research Laboratories were set up initially at the RAE in north-east Hampshire in 1925.
The site was conducting research into the Lyctus (beetle), a pest, and dry rot, caused by fungi.
In 1931 it carried out work into the Deathwatch beetle; the first investigation into this pest had been by Harold Maxwell-Lefroy at Imperial College in 1914.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited the site on 30 April 1952.
In August 1958, it was decided by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research that the government could not continue funding into the forestry products research, and that the timber industry should pay for it themselves, with funding being withdrawn from around 1963.
From 1960 to 1962 the Director was Sir Alcon Copisarow, who became the Chief Scientific Officer from 1962 to 1964 at the Ministry of Technology.