USBORNE LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00879378 · ltd · incorporated 1966-05-16
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 42.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 86-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 86). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
6 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 42.2y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 42.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 20/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
20 officers (4 active, 20 linked, 16 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
25 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
203 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (62 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2025-07-01📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2025-07-01📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2025-07-01📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2024-11-29📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AAMD
- 2024-11-29📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2024-08-22📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AAMD
- 2024-08-22📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2024-08-22📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2024-08-22📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2024-07-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-08📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2024-07-08📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2024-07-08📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2023-07-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-05📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2023-07-05📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2023-07-05📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2022-07-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-01📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2022-07-01📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2020-12-29➖THOMPSON, David Brian resigneddirector
- 2017-04-04➕THOMPSON, Patricia appointeddirector
- 2017-04-04➕WOODWARD, Katharine Patricia appointeddirector
- 2008-09-30➖RIDD, John Leslie resigneddirector
- 1999-08-06🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 1999-08-06🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 1999-08-06🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 1999-08-06🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 1998-10-01➖MARGESSON, Richard David resigneddirector
- 1998-10-01➖PARKINSON OF CARNFORTH, Cecil Edward, Rt Hon Lord resigneddirector
- 1998-10-01➕THOMPSON, David Brian appointeddirector
- 1998-05-20➕DANT, Christopher James appointedsecretary
- 1998-05-20➖AIKEN, William John, Mr. resignedsecretary
- 1998-05-20➖AIKEN, William John, Mr. resigneddirector
- 1997-04-18➖ADAMS, Michael James resigneddirector
- 1996-09-26➕RIDD, John Leslie appointeddirector
- 1995-05-31➖KING, Terence Frederick resigneddirector
- 1994-09-30➕AIKEN, William John, Mr. appointedsecretary
- 1994-09-30➖ENDACOTT, Richard John resignedsecretary
- 1994-09-30➖ENDACOTT, Richard John resigneddirector
- 1994-07-26➖FRAME, David William resigneddirector
- 1994-07-25➕AIKEN, William John, Mr. appointeddirector
- 1994-07-19➖HARRISON, Peter Harold resigneddirector
- 1994-07-05➕COPUS, Roy Bernard appointeddirector
- 1994-03-31➕ENDACOTT, Richard John appointedsecretary
- 1994-03-31➖HARRISON, Peter Harold resignedsecretary
- 1994-01-01➕ENDACOTT, Richard John appointeddirector
- 1994-01-01➕KING, Terence Frederick appointeddirector
- 1993-12-31➖STEPHENS, Noel Melville resigneddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 62 events
Owner dependency
75/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 32 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 86 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
90/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 86 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 32 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 60 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 ·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
Thompson Investments (London) Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Thompson Investments (London) Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
USBORNE LIMITED
This company · 00879378
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Thompson Investments (London) Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
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.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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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
Incorporated1966-05-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices
Registered office
Cheveley Park Stud
Duchess Drive
Newmarket
Suffolk
CB8 9DD
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-06-25
Last: 2026-06-11
Officers (4 active · 16 resigned)
DANT, Christopher James→
Activesecretary · appointed 1998-05-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COPUS, Roy Bernard→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 1994-07-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
THOMPSON, Patricia→
Activedirector · ~86y · appointed 2017-04-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WOODWARD, Katharine Patricia→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2017-04-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
AIKEN, William John, Mr.→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1994-09-30 · resigned 1998-05-20
ENDACOTT, Richard John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1994-03-31 · resigned 1994-09-30
HARRISON, Peter Harold→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1994-03-31
ADAMS, Michael James→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · resigned 1997-04-18
AIKEN, William John, Mr.→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 1994-07-25 · resigned 1998-05-20
ENDACOTT, Richard John→
Resigneddirector · ~84y · appointed 1994-01-01 · resigned 1994-09-30
FRAME, David William→
Resigneddirector · ~92y · resigned 1994-07-26
HARRISON, Peter Harold→
Resigneddirector · ~92y · resigned 1994-07-19
KING, Terence Frederick→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · appointed 1994-01-01 · resigned 1995-05-31
KIRKWOOD, David Jackson→
Resigneddirector · ~98y · resigned 1993-12-14
MARGESSON, Richard David→
Resigneddirector · ~89y · appointed 1992-10-21 · resigned 1998-10-01
PARKINSON OF CARNFORTH, Cecil Edward, Rt Hon Lord→
Resigneddirector · ~95y · resigned 1998-10-01
RIDD, John Leslie→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 1996-09-26 · resigned 2008-09-30
SAWYER, Derek William→
Resigneddirector · ~104y · resigned 1993-01-01
STEPHENS, Noel Melville→
Resigneddirector · ~86y · resigned 1993-12-31
THOMPSON, David Brian→
Resigneddirector · ~90y · appointed 1998-10-01 · resigned 2020-12-29
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
6
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 19/03/1993 | 06/08/1999 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 19/03/1993 | 06/08/1999 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 19/03/1993 | 06/08/1999 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Subordination deed | 1 property | 05/02/1993 | 06/08/1999 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 31/12/1984 | 19/01/1988 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 09/04/1984 | 17/05/1988 |
Recent filings (203 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-06-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2025-07-01
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2025-07-01
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2025-07-01
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2025-07-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-11
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AAMD
2024-11-29
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2024-11-29
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AAMD
2024-08-22
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2024-08-22
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2024-08-22
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2024-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2024-07-08
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2024-07-08
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2024-07-08