ATKIN & FARROW LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00600264 · ltd · incorporated 1958-03-11
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 53.6y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£999.0k
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
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 68). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
15 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 53.6y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 53.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 30/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (72/100)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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
15 charges (15/15 with lender, 15/15 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (2 active, 12 linked, 8 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
141 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 · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £999,023
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£53k
Net Worth
£999k
Current Assets
£79k
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.90M |
| Current assets | £78.9k |
| Cash | £53.4k |
| Debtors | £4.8k |
| Net assets | £999.0k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (71 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-02📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2026-01-16📄replacement-filing-of-director-appointment-with-nameofficers · RP01AP01
- 2025-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-25📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2024-09-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-09-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-09-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2024-09-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-09-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-09-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-09-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-09-09📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-09-09📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2024-09-09📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-09-09📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-09-09📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-08-23➕SPENCE, Andrew James appointeddirector
- 2024-08-23➕SPENCE, Tracey Elizabeth appointeddirector
- 2024-08-23➖THOMPSON, Mary resignedsecretary
- 2024-08-23➖THOMPSON, Alan John resigneddirector
- 2024-08-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-28📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-07-28📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #15
- 2023-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #14
- 2022-12-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2012-06-21🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2012-05-10🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2011-12-21➖THOMPSON, Barbara resignedsecretary
- 2011-12-21➕THOMPSON, Mary appointedsecretary
- 2011-12-21➖THOMPSON, Barbara resigneddirector
- 2010-03-05➖BARRETT, Sophie Jean resignedsecretary
- 2010-03-05➕THOMPSON, Barbara appointedsecretary
- 2010-03-05➖ATKIN, William James resigneddirector
- 2010-03-05➖BARRETT, Sophie Jean resigneddirector
- 2010-03-05➖JESSUP, Kathryn Tracey resigneddirector
- 2010-03-05➕THOMPSON, Alan John appointeddirector
- 2010-03-05➕THOMPSON, Barbara appointeddirector
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #13
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #12
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #11
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2005-11-17🔓Charge satisfied #3
Showing most recent 50 of 71 events
Owner dependency
81/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
56/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
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.
Group structure
J E Spence & Son Farms Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
J E Spence & Son Farms Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
ATKIN & FARROW LIMITED
This company · 00600264
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
J E Spence & Son Farms Ltd Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 23/08/2024 |
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Andrew James Spenceceased 23/08/2024· significant influence
- Tracey Elizabeth Spenceceased 23/08/2024· significant influence
- Mr Alan John Thompsonceased 23/08/2024· 75-100% shares
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
Active · Agriculture · PE postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.R. CRAVEN FARMS LIMITED→ 03115021 · est 1995 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 30y | — | — |
| AQUADAL LTD→ 16553921 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ARMSTRONG & SON AGRI AND STRAW MANAGEMENT LIMITED→ 14781745 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ARMSTRONG AGRICULTURE LIMITED→ 04651016 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ATKINSONS FARMS LIMITED→ 00559111 · est 1955 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 70y | — | — |
| AUNBY FARMING LIMITED→ 16553179 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AVON BULBS & PLANTS LTD→ 15837617 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| B BUSH & SONS LIMITED→ 07281214 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| B.A.HERD & SON LIMITED→ 09391236 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| BAH HUMBUG TRADING LTD→ 12248647 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| BANDO BULLS LTD→ 15445389 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BANK FARM LIMITED→ 00388078 · est 1944 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 81y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1958-03-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Mill Hill Farm
Bratoft
Skegness
Lincolnshire
PE24 5AN
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-06
Last: 2025-09-22
Officers (2 active · 10 resigned)
SPENCE, Andrew James→
Activedirector · ~68y · appointed 2024-08-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SPENCE, Tracey Elizabeth→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2024-08-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ATKIN, Sheila Mary→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2001-12-02
BARRETT, Sophie Jean→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-12-03 · resigned 2010-03-05
THOMPSON, Barbara→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2010-03-05 · resigned 2011-12-21
THOMPSON, Mary→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2011-12-21 · resigned 2024-08-23
ATKIN, Sheila Mary→
Resigneddirector · ~88y · resigned 2001-12-02
ATKIN, William James→
Resigneddirector · ~88y · resigned 2010-03-05
BARRETT, Sophie Jean→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 1995-11-16 · resigned 2010-03-05
JESSUP, Kathryn Tracey→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 1995-11-16 · resigned 2010-03-05
THOMPSON, Alan John→
Resigneddirector · ~66y · appointed 2010-03-05 · resigned 2024-08-23
THOMPSON, Barbara→
Resigneddirector · ~96y · appointed 2010-03-05 · resigned 2011-12-21
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
15
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:15 of 15 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/06/2012 | 28/07/2023 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 10/05/2012 | 28/07/2023 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/08/2002 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/08/2002 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/08/2002 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/08/2002 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/08/2002 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 13/04/1992 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 31/03/1980 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Kera C Farrow | Mortgage | 1 property | 09/08/1974 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Kera C Farrow | Mortgage | 1 property | 09/08/1974 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 13/12/1972 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 13/12/1972 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 13/12/1972 | 17/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 13/12/1972 | 17/11/2005 |
Recent filings (141 total)
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2026-04-02
replacement-filing-of-director-appointment-with-name
officers · RP01AP01
2026-01-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-22
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-10-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-18
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-09-18
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-09-18
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-09-18
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-09-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-09-09
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-09-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-09-09
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-09-09
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-09-09