A.J. WOOLDRIDGE LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
01106198 · ltd · incorporated 1973-04-04
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Apr 2025
Net worth
£4.56M
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 01410SIC 01410
- 68209Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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
8 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 53.1y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 53.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 3 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
3 officers (2 active, 3 linked, 2 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
105 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £4,559,089
Net assets shrinking
Down £27,377 YoY
Cash draining
Cash down 64% YoY
Cash YoY
-64%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£26k
↓ 64% YoY
Net Worth
£4.6m
~ YoY
Current Assets
£155k
↑ 34% YoY
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £5.51M | £5.50M |
| Current assets | £154.8k | £115.3k |
| Cash | £25.8k | £72.0k |
| Debtors | £119.5k | £38.8k |
| Net assets | £4.56M | £4.59M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
3 signals 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 (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-27📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-01-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-08📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-01-08📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-01-08🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Together Commercial Finance Limited
- 2024-01-08🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Together Commercial Finance Limited
- 2023-04-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-12📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2022-04-12📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2022-04-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-10📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2020-01-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-20📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2018-12-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2018-11-17➖WOOLDRIDGE, Richard James resigneddirector
- 2014-11-04🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2014-11-04🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2014-03-06➕WOOLDRIDGE, Michael Richard Geoffrey appointeddirector
- 1998-02-11🔒Charge registered #6Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1979-09-18🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Industrial Bank of Scotland Limited
- 1978-02-20🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Industrial Bank of Scotland Limited
- 1978-01-04🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Industrial Bank of Scotland Limited
- 1975-07-17🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
- 1973-05-11🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
- 1973-04-04🏢Company incorporatedAs A.J. WOOLDRIDGE LIMITED
Owner dependency
98/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "WOOLDRIDGE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
78/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 12 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 53 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.
6 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 Michael Richard Geoffrey Wooldridge Individual · British · DOB 09/1968 · age 58 | — | 75–100% | 75-100% voting | 17/11/2018 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Michael Richard Geoffrey Wooldridgeceased 17/11/2018· 75-100% voting
- Mr Richard James Wooldridgeceased 17/11/2018· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
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 · TQ postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A J LIDSTONE & SON LIMITED→ 03788580 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| A.J. WOOLDRIDGE (WEST PECKHAM) LIMITED→ 00763194 · est 1963 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 62y | — | — |
| AB MARINE CONSULTANCY LTD→ 13785724 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AB'S COMBINED SERVICES LTD→ 07376563 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| ACORN TREE CARE LIMITED→ 04984788 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| ADDGATE LIMITED→ 03680741 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| AFFINITY WOODLAND WORKERS CO-OPERATIVE LTD→ 03910698 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| ALLERDOWN FARMS LIMITED→ 08319072 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| ALLERTON LAND LTD→ 07963909 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| ALOHA GROUP LIMITED→ 10916132 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AMADEUS SHELLFISH COMPANY LIMITED→ 04741727 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| AMY-R TRAWLERS LIMITED→ 05248000 · est 2004 · 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
Incorporated1973-04-04
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Riversdale
Ashburton Road
Totnes
Devon
TQ9 5JU
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-18
Last: 2025-07-04
Officers (2 active · 1 resigned)
Active
WOOLDRIDGE, Michael Richard Geoffrey→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2014-03-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WOOLDRIDGE, Richard James→
Resigneddirector · ~89y · resigned 2018-11-17
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
8
Total charges
6
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:8 of 8 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Together Money Together Commercial Finance Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/01/2024 | — | |
| outstanding | Together Money Together Commercial Finance Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/01/2024 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 11/02/1998 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Industrial Bank of Scotland Limited | Mortgage | 1 property | 18/09/1979 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Industrial Bank of Scotland Limited | Mortgage | 1 property | 20/02/1978 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Industrial Bank of Scotland Limited | Mortgage | 1 property | 04/01/1978 | — | |
| satisfied | The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD | Collateral with four further charges | 1 property | 17/07/1975 | 04/11/2014 | |
| satisfied | The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD | Mortgage | 1 property | 11/05/1973 | 04/11/2014 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (105 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-30
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-12
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-01-08
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-01-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-14
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2022-04-12
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-04-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-11