A.E. BOWRING & SONS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
00906484 · ltd · incorporated 1967-05-19
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to May 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 01130SIC 01130
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 82-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 82). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 48.4y

35/100
too messy

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 48.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (2 active, 11 linked, 10 with DOB)
88
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
115 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
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
74
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£374k£747k£1.1m£1.5m£1.9mMay 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-05-312024-05-31
Total assets—£2.23M
Current assets—£1.08M
Cash—£308.1k
Debtors—£150.6k
Net assets—£1.87M
Average employees3—

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-02-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-09-04
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2025-05-08
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  4. 2025-02-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-02-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-02-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-07-12
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  8. 2022-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-04-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-01-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-02-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-02-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-06-27
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  14. 2017-06-27
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  15. 2017-06-27
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  16. 2017-06-27
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  17. 2009-09-30
    ➖
    BOWRING, Alistair James resigned
    director
  18. 2009-09-07
    ➖
    BOWRING, Dawn Marguerite resigned
    director
  19. 2009-03-26
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  20. 2009-03-26
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  21. 2009-03-18
    ➖
    BOWRING, Dallas Elaine resigned
    secretary
  22. 2009-03-18
    ➖
    BOWRING, Dallas Elaine resigned
    director
  23. 2009-03-18
    ➖
    BOWRING, Nicholas Roger resigned
    director
  24. 2009-03-18
    ➖
    BOWRING, Roger Albert resigned
    director
  25. 2009-03-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  26. 2009-03-14
    ➕
    BOWRING, John Arthur appointed
    director
  27. 2009-03-14
    ➕
    BOWRING, Sandra appointed
    director
  28. 2009-03-14
    ➕
    BOWRING, Alistair James appointed
    director
  29. 2008-03-10
    ➕
    BOWRING, Nicholas Roger appointed
    director
  30. 2008-02-04
    ➖
    BOWRING, John Arthur resigned
    director
  31. 2008-02-04
    ➖
    BOWRING, Sandra resigned
    director
  32. 1996-08-24
    ➖
    BOWRING, Albert Edward resigned
    director
  33. 1988-06-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corportion PLC
  34. 1988-06-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC
  35. 1977-12-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank LTD
  36. 1967-05-19
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A.E. BOWRING & SONS LIMITED

Owner dependency

100/100
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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BOWRING" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 17 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 82 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

89/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 82 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 17 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 59 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 · 1 low
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Multiple registered office changes
low

Multiple address changes in a short period can indicate operational instability or admin disorder.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr John Arthur Bowring
Individual · British · DOB 06/1944 · age 82
50–75%
50–75%board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control06/04/2016
Mrs Sandra Bowring
Individual · British · DOB 10/1948 · age 78
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016

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

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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
Incorporated1967-05-19
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds

Registered office

Synergy House 7 Acorn Business Park
Commercial Gate
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 1EX
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-11
Last: 2025-06-27

Officers (2 active · 9 resigned)

BOWRING, John Arthur→
director · ~82y · appointed 2009-03-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOWRING, Sandra→
director · ~78y · appointed 2009-03-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOWRING, Dallas Elaine→
secretary · resigned 2009-03-18
Resigned
BOWRING, Albert Edward→
director · ~114y · resigned 1996-08-24
Resigned
BOWRING, Alistair James→
director · ~52y · appointed 2009-03-14 · resigned 2009-09-30
Resigned
BOWRING, Dallas Elaine→
director · ~108y · resigned 2009-03-18
Resigned
BOWRING, Dawn Marguerite→
director · ~66y · resigned 2009-09-07
Resigned
BOWRING, John Arthur→
director · ~82y · resigned 2008-02-04
Resigned
BOWRING, Nicholas Roger→
director · ~42y · appointed 2008-03-10 · resigned 2009-03-18
Resigned
BOWRING, Roger Albert→
director · ~79y · resigned 2009-03-18
Resigned
BOWRING, Sandra→
director · ~78y · resigned 2008-02-04
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property18/03/2009—
satisfied
The Agricultural Mortgage Corportion
The Agricultural Mortgage Corportion PLC
Further charge1 property16/06/198826/03/2009
satisfied
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC
Legal charge1 property16/06/198826/03/2009
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank LTD
Mortgage debenture1 property20/12/1977—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (115 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-20
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-09-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-07
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-05-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-02-21
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-07-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-05