ATKINSONS FARMS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
00559111 · ltd · incorporated 1955-12-23
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.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jan 2025
Net worth
£1.12M
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 69-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 69). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 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 · 5 lenders · oldest 42.6y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 42.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 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.
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
10 charges (10/10 with lender, 10/10 with type)
90
Directors & officers
3 officers (2 active, 3 linked, 2 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
107 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
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
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £1,124,442
Cash YoY
+44%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£67k
↑ 44% YoY
Net Worth
£1.1m
↑ 6.0% YoY
Current Assets
£67k
↑ 39% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-01-31 | 2024-01-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.37M | £1.32M |
| Current assets | £67.2k | £48.2k |
| Cash | £66.6k | £46.4k |
| Debtors | £525 | £1.8k |
| Net assets | £1.12M | £1.06M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
2 signals 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 (33 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-06📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2023-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-11-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-07📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-10-28➖ATKINSON, John Hamilton resigneddirector
- 2021-08-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-07-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-06-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-05📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2012-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2012-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2012-07-05🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank)
- 2012-04-03🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
- 1992-01-20🔒Charge registered #8Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1992-01-20🔒Charge registered #7Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1992-01-20🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Julie-Ann Atkinson
- 1991-05-29🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 1991-05-29🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 1991-05-29🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 1991-05-29🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 1988-02-15🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1986-06-20🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1985-11-19🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1985-10-31🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1983-12-21🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1955-12-23🏢Company incorporatedAs ATKINSONS FARMS LIMITED
Owner dependency
100/100
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 name in company name: Company name contains director surname "ATKINSON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — 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 69. 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 71 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Julie Ann Atkinson Individual · British · DOB 07/1957 · age 69 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · trust interest | 28/10/2022 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- John Hamilton Atkinsonceased 28/10/2022· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Agriculture · PE postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.A.HERD & SON LIMITED→ 09391236 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| BANK FARM LIMITED→ 00388078 · est 1944 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 81y | — | — |
| BARTON BENDISH FARMING LIMITED→ 06157196 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| BEE HONEY FARM LTD→ 14891270 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BEEFY'S LIVESTOCK LIMITED→ 15463910 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BEHAGG CONTRACTING LIMITED→ 07613292 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| BELMONT FARMING LIMITED→ 07523586 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| BEN RALPH SHELLFISH LIMITED→ 11923408 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BESPOKE FORESTRY LTD→ 14854888 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BIGGLESWADE & HITCHIN AA LIMITED→ 04483755 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| BIRCH L & L LTD→ 16589216 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BIRCH TREE PROJECTS LIMITED→ 13436366 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
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 →🔒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
Incorporated1955-12-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Hall Farm House
Sea Lane
Wainfleet St Mary Lincolnshire
PE24 4BA
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-08
Last: 2025-09-24
Officers (2 active · 1 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
10
Total charges
4
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:10 of 10 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank) | Legal charge | 1 property | 05/07/2012 | — | |
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 03/04/2012 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 20/01/1992 | 28/07/2012 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 20/01/1992 | 28/07/2012 | |
| outstanding | Julie-Ann Atkinson | Deed of postponment and legal charge | 1 property | 20/01/1992 | — | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 15/02/1988 | 29/05/1991 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 20/06/1986 | 29/05/1991 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 19/11/1985 | 29/05/1991 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 31/10/1985 | 29/05/1991 | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/12/1983 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (107 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-10
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-03-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-10
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-07-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-14
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-11-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-08-09
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-09-22