ASH & LACY LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00047169 · ltd · incorporated 1896-03-11
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
69/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 69/100 (strong), bankability 72/100. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (50/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 59.1y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 59.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 38/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
31 officers (3 active, 31 linked, 22 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
18 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
347 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
69/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
50
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (79 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-14📄replacement-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP01CS01
- 2025-06-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-25📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2025-06-25📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2025-06-25📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2025-06-25📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2025-04-28📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-04-28📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-04-14➕WHITEHOUSE, Joel Paul appointeddirector
- 2025-04-14➖NICHOLS, Hannah Kate resigneddirector
- 2025-01-06📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-01-03📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2025-01-02📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-01-02📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-12-27📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2024-12-23📄capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figurecapital · SH19
- 2024-12-23📄legacycapital · SH20
- 2024-12-23⚠️legacyinsolvency · CAP-SS
- 2024-12-23📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-10-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-10📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2024-10-10📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2024-10-10📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2024-08-19➕ATTERBURY, Karen Lorraine appointedsecretary
- 2024-08-19➕ATTERBURY, Karen Lorraine appointeddirector
- 2024-08-19➖HENDERSON, Charles Alex resignedsecretary
- 2024-08-19➖HENDERSON, Charles Alex resigneddirector
- 2024-08-19📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-08-19📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-07-18➖SIMMONS, Paul resigneddirector
- 2020-11-12➖MUIR, Derek William resigneddirector
- 2020-11-12➕SIMMONS, Paul appointeddirector
- 2020-01-01➕NICHOLS, Hannah Kate appointeddirector
- 2019-05-01➕HENDERSON, Charles Alex appointeddirector
- 2019-04-30➖PEGLER, Mark resigneddirector
- 2015-01-01➕HENDERSON, Charles Alex appointedsecretary
- 2015-01-01➖HUMPHREYS, John Christopher resignedsecretary
- 2008-03-11➖BURR, Christopher John resigneddirector
- 2008-03-11➕PEGLER, Mark appointeddirector
- 2007-07-20🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2007-04-11➖GROVE, David Leslie resigneddirector
- 2007-02-28➖HAYHURST, Fred resignedsecretary
- 2007-02-28➖HAYHURST, Fred resignedsecretary
- 2007-02-28➕HUMPHREYS, John Christopher appointedsecretary
- 2007-01-04➕HAYHURST, Fred appointedsecretary
- 2006-10-27➕HAYHURST, Fred appointedsecretary
- 2006-10-27➖HUMPHREYS, John Christopher resignedsecretary
- 2006-08-21➕MUIR, Derek William appointeddirector
- 2005-07-05➖BURR, Christopher John resignedsecretary
- 2005-07-05➕HUMPHREYS, John Christopher appointedsecretary
Showing most recent 50 of 79 events
Owner dependency
58/100
Moderate — manageable with handoverSome founder dependency, but not acute. A structured handover period should cover most risk.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
Succession & seller-readiness
36/100
Weak signalLimited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.
SIGNALS
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
Red flags
1 high ·1 insolvency-related filing on record
highFilings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2024-12-23: legacy
Group structure
Hill & Smith Plc is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Hill & Smith Plc
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ASH & LACY LIMITED
This company · 00047169
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hill & Smith Plc Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 LAW LTD→ 16035562 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A2B TAXI HIRE LTD→ 16404015 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AA RECRUITMENT SERVICES LTD→ 12410283 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| AAK CONTRACTS LTD→ 17122852 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AAM SPECIALISTS LTD→ 15561363 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AAT ACCOUNTANTS AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS LTD→ 14295832 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AB1 CAPITAL LTD→ 15651788 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ABACUS TAX CONSULTANTS LTD→ 10699964 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ABBESS CONSULTING LTD→ 12843273 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ABBEY ASSOCIATES VEHICLE SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ 07272691 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| ABBEY LINCON UK LTD→ 06577942 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| ABBEY SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIMITED→ 16488913 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1896-03-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices
Registered office
Westhaven House, Arleston Way
Shirley
Solihull
West Midlands
B90 4LH
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-28
Last: 2025-08-14
Officers (3 active · 28 resigned)
ATTERBURY, Karen Lorraine→
Activesecretary · appointed 2024-08-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ATTERBURY, Karen Lorraine→
Activedirector · ~50y · appointed 2024-08-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WHITEHOUSE, Joel Paul→
Activedirector · ~52y · appointed 2025-04-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BURR, Christopher John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-12-31 · resigned 2005-07-05
EVERETT, Howard Caile→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-11-03 · resigned 2003-12-31
FOXALL, Raymond→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2000-11-03
HAYHURST, Fred→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2007-01-04 · resigned 2007-02-28
HAYHURST, Fred→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-10-27 · resigned 2007-02-28
HENDERSON, Charles Alex→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2015-01-01 · resigned 2024-08-19
HUMPHREYS, John Christopher→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2007-02-28 · resigned 2015-01-01
HUMPHREYS, John Christopher→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2005-07-05 · resigned 2006-10-27
ARKLEY, Derek Wilfred, Mt→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · appointed 1994-05-19 · resigned 2000-11-03
ASKEW, Norman Brian Montague→
Resigneddirector · ~84y · resigned 1994-05-19
BURR, Christopher John→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · resigned 2008-03-11
COOKE, Colin Ivor→
Resigneddirector · ~87y · resigned 1997-09-30
EVERETT, Howard Caile→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · appointed 2000-11-03 · resigned 2003-12-31
FLETCHER, David Sword Litler→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · resigned 1998-05-19
GROVE, David Leslie→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 2000-11-03 · resigned 2007-04-11
HENDERSON, Charles Alex→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 2019-05-01 · resigned 2024-08-19
JEFFERSON, John Anthony→
Resigneddirector · ~85y · appointed 1997-12-10 · resigned 2000-11-03
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC (The Security Trustee) | Security agreement | 1 property | 12/09/2003 | 20/07/2007 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC (The "Security Agent") as Agent and Trustee for Thefinance Parties (as Defined in the Credit Agreement) | Security agreement between the chargor, the original guarantors and the agent (as defined) (the "security agreement") | 1 property | 14/09/2001 | 27/02/2004 | |
| satisfied | Wesleyan & General Assurance Society. | Series of debentures | — | 06/04/1967 | 28/11/1992 |
Recent filings (347 total)
replacement-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP01CS01
2026-03-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2025-06-25
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2025-06-25
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2025-06-25
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2025-06-25
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2025-06-25
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-04-28
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-04-28
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-01-06
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2025-01-03
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-01-02
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-01-02
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-12-27
capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
capital · SH19
2024-12-23