HIGHAMBURY LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01028034 · ltd · incorporated 1971-10-20
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.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Apr 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Fund management activities
Sector: Financial & insurance
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 68). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 8 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (48/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
37 live charges · 8 lenders · oldest 50.1y
25/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 50.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 8 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 50/100 (high).
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
37 charges (37/37 with lender, 37/37 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 5 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
136 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
70
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 accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-04-30 | 2024-04-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
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 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (68 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-05-08📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-05-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-05-07📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2025-01-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-07➕SIMPSON, Katie Xanthe appointedsecretary
- 2021-07-07➖SIMPSON, James David Colthurst resignedsecretary
- 2021-07-07📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2021-07-07📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2021-04-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-08-14➕SIMPSON, James David Colthurst appointedsecretary
- 2017-08-14📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2017-03-28➕SIMPSON, Katie Xanthe appointeddirector
- 2017-03-27➖SIMPSON, Judith Eleanor resignedsecretary
- 2017-03-27➖SIMPSON, Judith Eleanor resigneddirector
- 2017-03-27➖SIMPSON, Paul Thomas resigneddirector
- 2015-05-01➕SIMPSON, John Alexander appointeddirector
- 2015-05-01➕SIMPSON, Paul Thomas appointeddirector
- 2013-12-19➖SIMPSON, Thomas resigneddirector
- 1998-12-03➕SIMPSON, Judith Eleanor appointedsecretary
- 1998-12-03➖STRUTHERS, John Hunter resignedsecretary
- 1994-12-14🔒Charge registered #37Lender: Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited
- 1994-12-14🔒Charge registered #36Lender: Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited
- 1994-09-26🔒Charge registered #35Lender: Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited
- 1991-10-25🔓Charge satisfied #22
- 1991-03-19🔓Charge satisfied #28
- 1990-06-05🔒Charge registered #34Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1988-08-11🔒Charge registered #33Lender: Pk English Trust Company Limited
- 1988-07-05🔒Charge registered #32Lender: Lloyds Bowmaker Limited
- 1987-06-23🔒Charge registered #31Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1987-01-14🔒Charge registered #30Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1986-12-17🔒Charge registered #29Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1986-08-19🔒Charge registered #28Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1986-08-19🔒Charge registered #27Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1986-08-19🔒Charge registered #26Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1986-07-23🔒Charge registered #25Lender: Lloyds Bowmaker Limited.
- 1986-04-24🔒Charge registered #24Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1986-02-20🔒Charge registered #23Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1986-02-05🔒Charge registered #22Lender: Lloyds Bowmaker Limited
- 1985-02-27🔒Charge registered #21Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1985-02-27🔒Charge registered #20Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1984-11-21🔒Charge registered #19Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1984-11-21🔒Charge registered #18Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
Showing most recent 50 of 68 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
71/100
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.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 55 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 lowCharge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
35 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr John Alexander Simpson Individual · British · DOB 03/1958 · age 68 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 28/03/2017 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mrs Judith Eleanor Simpsonceased 28/03/2017· board control
- Mr Markus Dtutzceased 22/03/2017· 25-50% shares · trust interest
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Financial services · CB postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASE INTERNATIONAL LTD→ 11841295 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| FIDELIUM FINANCIAL PLANNERS LIMITED→ 09548030 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| GO GLOBAL MARKETS LTD→ 16526662 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GRANTA CROWN LIMITED→ 16458894 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| HAMMOND’S MORTGAGE SERVICES LIMITED→ 06251076 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| HAVERHILL PROPERTY LTD→ 15227641 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| HIGHLY STRUNG LIMITED→ 03013581 · est 1995 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 31y | — | — |
| HOLBEN HOLT LIMITED→ 10369419 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| HOLISTIC MARKETS TRADING LTD→ 13821017 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| HOWARD EQUITY HOLDINGS LIMITED→ 08954653 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| HPB BOND LOANS LIMITED→ 13613295 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| HPB FINANCE LIMITED→ 05379644 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1971-10-20
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC66300 — Fund management activities
Registered office
Market House
10 Market Walk
Saffron Walden
Essex
CB10 1JZ
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-15
Last: 2026-04-01
Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)
SIMPSON, Katie Xanthe→
Activesecretary · appointed 2021-07-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SIMPSON, John Alexander→
Activedirector · ~68y · appointed 2015-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SIMPSON, Katie Xanthe→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2017-03-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SIMPSON, James David Colthurst→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2017-08-14 · resigned 2021-07-07
SIMPSON, Judith Eleanor→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1998-12-03 · resigned 2017-03-27
STRUTHERS, John Hunter→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1998-12-03
SIMPSON, Judith Eleanor→
Resigneddirector · ~95y · resigned 2017-03-27
SIMPSON, Paul Thomas→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 2015-05-01 · resigned 2017-03-27
SIMPSON, Thomas→
Resigneddirector · ~95y · resigned 2013-12-19
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
37
Total charges
35
Outstanding
5
Active lenders
Status:Lender:37 of 37 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/12/1994 | — | |
| outstanding | Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/12/1994 | — | |
| outstanding | Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 26/09/1994 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 05/06/1990 | — | |
| outstanding | Pk English Trust Company Pk English Trust Company Limited | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 11/08/1988 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bowmaker Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 05/07/1988 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/06/1987 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/01/1987 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Further guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 17/12/1986 | — | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 19/08/1986 | 19/03/1991 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 19/08/1986 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 19/08/1986 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bowmaker Limited. | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/07/1986 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 24/04/1986 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Further guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 20/02/1986 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bowmaker Limited | Statutory mortgage | 1 property | 05/02/1986 | 25/10/1991 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 27/02/1985 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 27/02/1985 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/11/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/11/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 26/09/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 05/07/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bowmaker Limited and V.A.G. Finance Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/04/1984 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds and Scottish Trust Limited | Charge | 1 property | 31/10/1983 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 05/10/1983 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 29/12/1980 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Guarantee debenture | 1 property | 01/11/1979 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 01/06/1976 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (136 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-12
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-05-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-05-08
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-05-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-07
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-05-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-25
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2021-07-07