ADAMS OF RYE LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
00512255 · ltd · incorporated 1952-10-13
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.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jan 2025
Net worth
£1.27M
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 18129
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 47620SIC 47620
- 47650SIC 47650
- 47789Other retail sale of new goods in specialised stores (other than commercial art galleries and opticians)
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 68). 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 55.1y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 55.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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, 4 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 2 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
92 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
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £1,266,103
Net assets shrinking
Down £31,852 YoY
Cash YoY
-17%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£31k
↓ 17% YoY
Net Worth
£1.3m
↓ 2.5% YoY
Current Assets
£312k
~ YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-01-31 | 2024-01-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.53M | £1.57M |
| Current assets | £311.6k | £314.1k |
| Cash | £31.2k | £37.8k |
| Debtors | £58.3k | £50.0k |
| Net assets | £1.27M | £1.30M |
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 (21 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-27📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-05-27📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-05-24📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2024-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-07📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-16➖FOSTER, Clifford James resigneddirector
- 2019-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-11-05📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2016-11-05🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2016-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2011-07-31➕FOSTER, Alexandra Rebecca appointedsecretary
- 2011-07-30➖FOSTER, Clifford James resignedsecretary
- 1971-04-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank Limited
- 1952-10-13🏢Company incorporatedAs ADAMS OF RYE LIMITED
Owner dependency
90/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 74 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Ian James Foster Individual · British · DOB 07/1958 · age 68 | 50–75% | 50–75% | board controlsig. influence50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest | 17/10/2020 |
Mrs Janet Elizabeth Ridpath Individual · British · DOB 09/1952 · age 74 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 20/10/2020 |
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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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2BMS AUTO LTD→ 07078290 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| 2RM BRANDS LTD→ 14997567 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 4 WOOD THINKING LTD→ 15338666 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 48 TEES LIMITED→ 13379007 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A GLAZE LIMITED→ 05492921 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ABRIL INDUSTRIAL WAXES LIMITED→ 04646926 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ABSOLAIR FILTRATION LIMITED→ 01857964 · est 1984 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| ACT ENGINEERING LIMITED→ 15114996 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADAMS CARPENTRY & SONS LTD→ 14020942 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ADDAGRIP TERRACO LTD→ 01492055 · est 1980 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 45y | — | — |
| ADDENG LIMITED→ 15544762 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADEN ELECTRONICS LIMITED→ 02345093 · est 1989 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 37y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
8 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
Incorporated1952-10-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC18129 — SIC 18129
Registered office
8 High Street,
Rye,
Sussex
TN31 7JH
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-09
Last: 2025-07-26
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
FOSTER, Alexandra Rebecca→
Activesecretary · appointed 2011-07-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FOSTER, Clifford James→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2011-07-30
FOSTER, Clifford James→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · resigned 2020-10-16
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
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank Limited | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 02/04/1971 | 05/11/2016 |
Recent filings (92 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-03
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-05-27
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-05-27
withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
2025-05-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-31
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-08
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2020-12-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-10-30