BARNEY, SANDS & HARTRIDGE LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. 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 (53/100).
Refinance opportunity
10 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 41.8y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 41.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £644.5k | £708.8k |
| Current assets | £577.9k | £652.4k |
| Cash | £364.4k | £423.7k |
| Debtors | £203.7k | £219.0k |
| Net assets | £619.1k | £668.3k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 officers
Corporate timeline (40 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-19📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-02-13📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-31📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-10📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-12-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-01-17📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-01-14📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-13➖WEST, Ernest Arthur resigneddirector
- 2020-12-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-16📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-12-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2010-12-10➕WEST, Mark Stephen appointeddirector
- 2008-09-30🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2004-07-30➕WEST, Mark Stephen appointedsecretary
- 2004-07-30➖WEST, Clarence Onslow resignedsecretary
- 2004-07-30➖WEST, Clarence Onslow resigneddirector
- 2004-07-30➖WEST, Herbert John resigneddirector
- 1999-11-18🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 1999-11-18🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1999-10-01🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 1999-09-29🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 1999-09-29🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 1999-09-29🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 1999-09-29🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 1999-06-25🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1999-03-16🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1993-08-10🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1991-05-22🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1988-10-14🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1987-12-04🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1984-12-19🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1984-12-19🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1984-08-09🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1946-05-13🏢Company incorporatedAs BARNEY, SANDS & HARTRIDGE LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 80 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 ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Mark Stephen West Individual · British · DOB 02/1960 · age 66 | 50–75% | 50–75% | 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting | 01/03/2017 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Ernest Arthur Westceased 22/03/2024· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
- Mr Ernest Arthur Westceased 13/11/2021· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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9 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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 30/09/2008 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 25/06/1999 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 16/03/1999 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Single debenture | 1 property | 10/08/1993 | 29/09/1999 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 22/05/1991 | 01/10/1999 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/10/1988 | 29/09/1999 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 04/12/1987 | 29/09/1999 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 19/12/1984 | 29/09/1999 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 19/12/1984 | 18/11/1999 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 09/08/1984 | 18/11/1999 |