BARTON TOWNLEY (BARROW) LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
00348228 · ltd · incorporated 1939-01-09
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
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£1.76M
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 61-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (60/100, director aged 61). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

6 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 43.6y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 43.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (5 active, 10 linked, 7 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
126 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £1,756,355
Net assets shrinking
Down £25,419 YoY
Cash YoY
+5%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£685k
↑ 4.9% YoY
Net Worth
£1.8m
↓ 1.4% YoY
Current Assets
£2.1m
↓ 12% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£471k£943k£1.4m£1.9m£2.4mDec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Total assets£1.76M£1.78M
Current assets£2.08M£2.36M
Cash£685.2k£653.3k
Debtors£72.4k£136.3k
Net assets£1.76M£1.78M

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (40 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-04-23
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  4. 2023-09-29
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  5. 2023-09-29
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  6. 2023-09-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-11-30
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  8. 2022-11-30
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  9. 2022-11-25
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  10. 2022-11-03
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  11. 2022-11-03
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  12. 2022-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-08-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-09-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-09-27
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  17. 2019-09-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  18. 2019-08-30
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  19. 2019-08-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  20. 2016-03-01
    ➕
    HELME, Dory Janine appointed
    secretary
  21. 2016-03-01
    ➖
    HELME, Joan Mary resigned
    secretary
  22. 2010-10-01
    ➕
    ECCLES, Christopher John appointed
    director
  23. 2008-05-01
    ➕
    HOUGHTON, John Christopher appointed
    director
  24. 2004-11-15
    ➕
    MEDCALFE, Andrew Robert appointed
    director
  25. 1999-12-20
    ➕
    HELME, Joan Mary appointed
    secretary
  26. 1999-12-20
    ➖
    VINCE, Audrey Muriel resigned
    secretary
  27. 1999-12-20
    ➖
    VINCE, Audrey Muriel resigned
    director
  28. 1997-04-13
    ➖
    VINCE, Alfred James resigned
    director
  29. 1995-04-01
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  30. 1995-03-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  31. 1994-12-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  32. 1991-11-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  33. 1991-11-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  34. 1991-11-15
    ➖
    GABRIEL, Raymond Samuel resigned
    director
  35. 1991-03-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Alfred James Vince
  36. 1986-11-13
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  37. 1985-10-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Nissan Finance UK Limited
  38. 1985-10-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Nissan Finance UK Limited and Nissan UK Limited
  39. 1982-11-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Lloyds and Scottish Trust Limited
  40. 1939-01-09
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BARTON TOWNLEY (BARROW) LIMITED

Owner dependency

58/100
Moderate — manageable with handover

Some founder dependency, but not acute. A structured handover period should cover most risk.

FACTORS
  • -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

70/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 87 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Group structure

Qubic Trustees Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Qubic Trustees Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
BARTON TOWNLEY (BARROW) LIMITED
This company · 00348228

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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Qubic Trustees Ltd
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting15/11/2022
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Peter John Helmeceased 15/11/2022· 75-100% shares

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 →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

6 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
Incorporated1939-01-09
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45111 — Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles

Registered office

James Freel Close
Barrow In Furness
Cumbria
LA14 2NW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-09
Last: 2025-11-25

Officers (5 active · 5 resigned)

HELME, Dory Janine→
secretary · appointed 2016-03-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ECCLES, Christopher John→
director · ~55y · appointed 2010-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HELME, Peter John→
director · ~61y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOUGHTON, John Christopher→
director · ~58y · appointed 2008-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MEDCALFE, Andrew Robert→
director · ~56y · appointed 2004-11-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HELME, Joan Mary→
secretary · appointed 1999-12-20 · resigned 2016-03-01
Resigned
VINCE, Audrey Muriel→
secretary · resigned 1999-12-20
Resigned
GABRIEL, Raymond Samuel→
director · ~91y · resigned 1991-11-15
Resigned
VINCE, Alfred James→
director · ~103y · resigned 1997-04-13
Resigned
VINCE, Audrey Muriel→
director · ~100y · resigned 1999-12-20
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

6
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property30/03/199527/09/2019
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property23/12/199430/08/2019
satisfied
Alfred James Vince / Audrey Vince
Legal charge2 properties20/03/199101/04/1995
satisfied
Nissan Finance UK
Nissan Finance UK Limited
General debenture1 property25/10/198530/11/1991
satisfied
Nissan Finance UK and Nissan UK
Nissan Finance UK Limited and Nissan UK Limited
Legal charge1 property25/10/198530/11/1991
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds and Scottish Trust Limited
Debenture1 property25/11/198213/11/1986

Recent filings (126 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-04-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-28
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2023-09-29
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2023-09-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-30
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2022-11-30
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-11-30
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-11-25
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2022-11-03
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-11-03