Past / Present / Future
In 1876 L.J. Nicolls, a carpenter by trade, began making his own cricket bats. His friends on seeing these asked, as friends do, if he would make them some. From this small beginning, the bat factory came into being.
From 1926 to 1939 the Nicolls Bat Factory continued to flourish and was famous for its bats all over the world of cricket, but the war (WWII) brought changes and the firm amalgamated with Gray and Sons Ltd and thus became Gray-Nicolls Ltd.
Today, Grays-Nicolls Willow is brought to the crease around the world, by the sport’s most influential and successful players.
World rackets champion Harry Gray establishes Grays in Cambridge.
L.J. Nicolls, a local carpenter, establishes Nicolls in Robertsbridge. Grays branch into cricket and supply players such as Ranjitsinhji.
L.J Nicolls grandson Don Bridger and his partner Len Newbery expand their willow operations, felling trees by hand for the Nicolls bat factory which continued to flourish and was by now famous for all its bats all over the world of cricket.
The war brought changes and the firm amalgamated with Gray & Sons Ltd to become Gray Nicolls Ltd. The firm moves to larger premises in Robertsbridge that includes a willow processing yard.
The company moves to its current premises to allow for sufficient space to expand its willow processing operation.
The company embarked on an expansion programme to become self‑sufficient in English Willow.
Tree Legacy Programme
As part of our willow planting programme, our Tree Legacy Programme began on 21 February 2020 when former England captain and GRAY‑NICOLLS legend Sir Alastair Cook visited Robertsbridge to plant 33 willow trees – one for each of his Test centuries.
Used by the world’s top talent including Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Zak Crawley.
Looking to the Future
We are the only self‑sustaining bat‑making company involved in growing, felling, manufacturing and selling willow bats.
We are constantly on the lookout for new growers and land owners to generate profitable relationships with, offering a long‑term partnership with a trusted and secure family business.
