BARCHAM FARMS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
00590543 · ltd · incorporated 1957-09-17
Investment thesis
Property vehicle with leveraged stack — refinance / partial-release angle.
Why interesting: Asset-backed; value largely in underlying property; lender engagement likely possible.
Why risky: Multiple lenders to manage; inter-creditor friction and partial-release cost possible.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Apr 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 68209Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

8 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 56.8y

35/100
too messy

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 56.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
8 charges (8/8 with lender, 8/8 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 4 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
110 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
82
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Apr 2024Apr 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-04-302024-04-30
Average employees200200

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
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2026-01-14
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  3. 2025-12-09
    ➕
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus Ashley appointed
    director
  4. 2025-01-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-10-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-02-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-01-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-03-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-02-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-01-30
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  11. 2018-08-28
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  12. 2018-08-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-11-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2016-07-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2015-09-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2015-08-20
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  17. 2013-05-22
    ➖
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Sidney John Harry resigned
    director
  18. 2009-11-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC (Amc)
  19. 2007-07-23
    ➕
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus appointed
    secretary
  20. 2007-07-23
    ➕
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Diana Joy Margaret appointed
    director
  21. 2007-07-23
    ➖
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Diana Joy Margaret resigned
    secretary
  22. 2004-01-21
    ➕
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Diana Joy Margaret appointed
    secretary
  23. 2004-01-21
    ➖
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Sidney John Harry resigned
    secretary
  24. 2003-07-15
    ➖
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus Ashley resigned
    director
  25. 2002-05-06
    ➕
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Sidney John Harry appointed
    secretary
  26. 2002-05-05
    ➖
    CHANTLER, Christopher Hamilton resigned
    secretary
  27. 1999-12-24
    ➕
    BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus Ashley appointed
    director
  28. 1996-03-27
    ➕
    CHANTLER, Christopher Hamilton appointed
    secretary
  29. 1996-03-27
    ➖
    HOWE, Sheila resigned
    secretary
  30. 1989-08-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC
  31. 1985-08-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC.
  32. 1983-04-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  33. 1983-03-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  34. 1974-09-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.
  35. 1974-09-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Te Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.
  36. 1969-08-07
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
  37. 1957-09-17
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BARCHAM FARMS LIMITED

Owner dependency

91/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 91 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

39/100
Weak signal

Limited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus Ashley (same surname) appointed 2025-12-09. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 91 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 low
8 live charges
low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Diana Joy Margaret Barcham-Stevens
Individual · British · DOB 10/1935 · age 91
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016
Mr Marcus Ashley Barcham-Stevens
Individual · British · DOB 12/1974 · age 52
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · trust interest06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Anthony John Morbeyceased 13/09/2017· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · trust interest

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Agriculture · CB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
A L LEE FARMING COMPANY→
08798484 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————12y——
A. W. POTATOES LTD→
10138730 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
AC CONTRACTING GROUP LIMITED→
15654247 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————2y——
AGGRICO GROUP LTD→
12556682 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ALBANWISE LIMITED→
01359468 · est 1978 · no financials extracted
————48y——
ANTAS LIMITED→
03100140 · est 1995 · no financials extracted
————30y——
ASHRIDGE BLOODSTOCK LTD→
14449682 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ATLAS TREE SURGERY LIMITED→
06345897 · est 2007 · no financials extracted
————18y——
AYERS TREE SERVICES LTD→
08571966 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————12y——
BALSHAM SHOOT LIMITED→
11229116 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————8y——
BANSTEAD MANOR STUD LIMITED(THE)→
00209087 · est 1925 · no financials extracted
————100y——
BARCHAM TREES PLC→
02980323 · est 1994 · no financials extracted
————31y——
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
Incorporated1957-09-17
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds

Registered office

Barcham Farm Barcham Road
Soham
Ely
CB7 5TU
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-02
Last: 2025-07-19

Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)

BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus→
secretary · appointed 2007-07-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BARCHAM-STEVENS, Diana Joy Margaret→
director · ~91y · appointed 2007-07-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus Ashley→
director · ~52y · appointed 2025-12-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BARCHAM-STEVENS, Diana Joy Margaret→
secretary · appointed 2004-01-21 · resigned 2007-07-23
Resigned
BARCHAM-STEVENS, Sidney John Harry→
secretary · appointed 2002-05-06 · resigned 2004-01-21
Resigned
CHANTLER, Christopher Hamilton→
secretary · appointed 1996-03-27 · resigned 2002-05-05
Resigned
HOWE, Sheila→
secretary · resigned 1996-03-27
Resigned
BARCHAM-STEVENS, Marcus Ashley→
director · ~52y · appointed 1999-12-24 · resigned 2003-07-15
Resigned
BARCHAM-STEVENS, Sidney John Harry→
director · ~92y · resigned 2013-05-22
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

8
Total charges
8
Outstanding
6
Active lenders
Status:Lender:8 of 8 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Amc)
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC (Amc)
Mortgage deed1 property18/11/2009—
outstanding
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC
Further collateral charge1 property31/08/1989—
outstanding
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation .
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC.
Collateral charge.1 property28/08/1985—
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property18/04/1983—
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property30/03/1983—
outstanding
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.
Further charge1 property20/09/1974—
outstanding
Te Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.
Further charge1 property20/09/1974—
outstanding
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
Legal charge1 property07/08/1969—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (110 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-29
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2026-01-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-02-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-01-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-02-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-07-30