DUNCAN FEARNLEY DISTRIBUTION LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
00376805 · ltd · incorporated 1942-10-23
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Wholesale of clothing and footwear
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 62.0y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 62.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (59/100)

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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
17 officers (2 active, 17 linked, 11 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
125 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (47 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-10-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-05-01
    ➕
    STRACHAN, Lucy Jill appointed
    secretary
  4. 2024-05-01
    ➖
    STEWART, Charles Roderick resigned
    secretary
  5. 2024-05-01
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  6. 2024-05-01
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  7. 2024-02-07
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2024-02-07
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  9. 2023-10-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2022-04-19
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  12. 2022-04-19
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  13. 2021-10-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-11-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-10-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  16. 2018-11-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  17. 2017-10-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  18. 2005-11-01
    ➕
    STEWART, Charles Roderick appointed
    secretary
  19. 2005-10-31
    ➖
    DOUGLAS, John David resigned
    secretary
  20. 2005-10-31
    ➖
    DOUGLAS, John David resigned
    director
  21. 2003-05-01
    ➕
    PALMER, Alan Charles appointed
    director
  22. 2003-05-01
    ➖
    MCGILL, Michael Scott resigned
    director
  23. 2001-12-31
    ➖
    MCGIBBON, David Campbell resigned
    director
  24. 2001-12-31
    ➕
    MCGILL, Michael Scott appointed
    director
  25. 2000-04-28
    ➕
    DOUGLAS, John David appointed
    secretary
  26. 2000-04-28
    ➖
    MCINTOSH, Robert Duncan resigned
    secretary
  27. 2000-04-28
    ➖
    BEVERIDGE, James David Connell resigned
    director
  28. 2000-04-28
    ➕
    DOUGLAS, John David appointed
    director
  29. 2000-04-28
    ➖
    FEARNLEY, Charles Duncan resigned
    director
  30. 1997-12-01
    ➖
    COWAN, David Herbert resigned
    secretary
  31. 1997-12-01
    ➕
    MCINTOSH, Robert Duncan appointed
    secretary
  32. 1997-12-01
    ➖
    COWAN, David Herbert resigned
    director
  33. 1997-12-01
    ➖
    ROY, William Gordon Begg resigned
    director
  34. 1997-07-02
    ➖
    CAMPION, Michael Eric resigned
    director
  35. 1994-09-01
    ➕
    BEVERIDGE, James David Connell appointed
    director
  36. 1993-10-19
    ➕
    FEARNLEY, Charles Duncan appointed
    director
  37. 1993-10-07
    ➕
    COWAN, David Herbert appointed
    secretary
  38. 1993-10-07
    ➖
    DOUGLAS, John David resigned
    secretary
  39. 1993-10-07
    ➕
    CAMPION, Michael Eric appointed
    director
  40. 1993-10-07
    ➕
    COWAN, David Herbert appointed
    director
  41. 1993-10-07
    ➖
    HUGHES, William Young resigned
    director
  42. 1993-10-07
    ➕
    ROY, William Gordon Begg appointed
    director
  43. 1993-07-26
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  44. 1991-12-20
    ➕
    MCGIBBON, David Campbell appointed
    director
  45. 1991-12-20
    ➖
    ROY, William Gordon Begg resigned
    director
  46. 1964-07-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation LTD
  47. 1942-10-23
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As DUNCAN FEARNLEY DISTRIBUTION LIMITED

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Group structure

Stag House Five Limited holds 25-50% — a significant corporate investor but not a controlling parent.

🏛️
Stag House Five Limited
Corporate parent
⬇
DUNCAN FEARNLEY DISTRIBUTION LIMITED
This company · 00376805

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Stag House Five Limited
Corporate entity
——sig. influencesignificant influence02/02/2024
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Charles Roderick Stewartceased 02/02/2024· significant influence

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

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
Incorporated1942-10-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46420 — Wholesale of clothing and footwear

Registered office

Unit B Haydock Cross Industrial
Estate Kilbuck Lane
St Helens
Merseyside
WA11 9UX

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-15
Last: 2026-05-01

Officers (2 active · 15 resigned)

STRACHAN, Lucy Jill→
secretary · appointed 2024-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
PALMER, Alan Charles→
director · ~64y · appointed 2003-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
COWAN, David Herbert→
secretary · appointed 1993-10-07 · resigned 1997-12-01
Resigned
DOUGLAS, John David→
secretary · appointed 2000-04-28 · resigned 2005-10-31
Resigned
DOUGLAS, John David→
secretary · resigned 1993-10-07
Resigned
MCINTOSH, Robert Duncan→
secretary · appointed 1997-12-01 · resigned 2000-04-28
Resigned
STEWART, Charles Roderick→
secretary · appointed 2005-11-01 · resigned 2024-05-01
Resigned
BEVERIDGE, James David Connell→
director · ~79y · appointed 1994-09-01 · resigned 2000-04-28
Resigned
CAMPION, Michael Eric→
director · ~76y · appointed 1993-10-07 · resigned 1997-07-02
Resigned
COWAN, David Herbert→
director · ~75y · appointed 1993-10-07 · resigned 1997-12-01
Resigned
DOUGLAS, John David→
director · ~69y · appointed 2000-04-28 · resigned 2005-10-31
Resigned
FEARNLEY, Charles Duncan→
director · ~86y · appointed 1993-10-19 · resigned 2000-04-28
Resigned
HUGHES, William Young→
director · ~86y · resigned 1993-10-07
Resigned
MCGIBBON, David Campbell→
director · ~79y · appointed 1991-12-20 · resigned 2001-12-31
Resigned
MCGILL, Michael Scott→
director · ~58y · appointed 2001-12-31 · resigned 2003-05-01
Resigned
ROY, William Gordon Begg→
director · ~83y · appointed 1993-10-07 · resigned 1997-12-01
Resigned
ROY, William Gordon Begg→
director · ~83y · resigned 1991-12-20
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation
General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation LTD
Trust deed1 property22/07/196426/07/1993

Recent filings (125 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-10-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-10-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-01
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2024-05-01
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-05-01
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-02-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-02-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-10-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-10-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-13
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2022-04-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-04-19