Many of the buildings in Bristol and other cities around the United Kingdom still exist with several being converted to residential use.

Henry O. Wills arrived in Bristol in 1786 from Salisbury, and opened a tobacco shop on Castle Street with his partner Samuel Watkins.

[2] During the 1860s, a new factory was built to replace the original Redcliffe Street premises, but the firm quickly outgrew it.

Three Castles and Gold Flake followed in 1878, but the greatest success was the machine-made Woodbine ten years later.

A decade later, in 1996, Hanson demerged its tobacco manufacturing assets to a new company floated on the Stock Exchange, the Imperial Group.

Wills major factories and offices were located in Bedminster, Bristol, with other facitilities in Holborn, London, Swindon, Newcastle and Glasgow.

[2] The largest cigarette factory in Europe was opened at Hartcliffe, Bristol, designed in 1974 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, but closed in 1990.

Its site is now the Imperial Park retail complex, but the associated offices became Lakeshore, residential apartments, created by Urban Splash.

The Newcastle factory closed in 1986 and stood derelict for over a decade, before the front of the Art Deco building – which was preserved by being Grade II listed – reopened in 1998 as a block of luxury apartments.

(See main article: Wills Building) The factory in Glasgow has similarly been converted into offices.

When Princess Elizabeth visited the Bedminster factory on 3 March 1950 she was given cigarette cards as a gift for Prince Charles.

[2] The company pioneered canteens for the workers, free medical care, sports facilities and paid holidays.

Wills Ltd Association Football Team was established, and the company also held singing classes for the younger workers and women that year.

[2] In 1899, wives of Wills employees serving in the Boer War were granted 10 shillings per week by the factory.

[4] From the early 20th century to April 1951 "Pirate" was one of the most recognized cigarette brands in China.

Other Wills sets include 'Aviation' (1910), 'Lucky Charms' (1923), 'British Butterflies' (1927), 'Famous Golfers' (1930), 'Garden Flowers' (1933) and 'Air Raid Precautions' (1938).

[8] The factory in Hartcliffe, Bristol, was used for location filming for the UK television series Doctor Who, for the 1977 serial The Sun Makers.