ASHDOWN AND GENERAL LAND COMPANY (THE)
🌳Matureactive
01577757 · private-unlimited · incorporated 1981-08-03
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 28.0y 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: SIC 01500
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 92-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 92). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 28.0y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 28.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (57/100)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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (6 active, 7 linked, 6 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
64 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
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (23 events)Click to expand
- 2024-10-30📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-10-30📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-10-30📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-10-29📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2022-08-15📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-08-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Security Trustee Limited
- 2022-01-13📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-01-13📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-01-13📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC08
- 2022-01-12➕CLARKE, Hugo Rory Stephenson, Major appointeddirector
- 2022-01-12➕PEEL, Hannah Mary Stephenson appointeddirector
- 2022-01-06📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2018-12-24📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-12-24🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2016-01-01📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-12-30📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-12-30📍change-sail-address-company-with-new-addressaddress · AD02
- 2014-01-08📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2012-12-28📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2011-12-06➕WHITE-SPUNNER, Barnabas William Benjamin, Sir appointeddirector
- 2011-12-06➖CRAIG-MOONEY, Alexander resigneddirector
- 1998-07-14🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1981-08-03🏢Company incorporatedAs ASHDOWN AND GENERAL LAND COMPANY (THE)
Owner dependency
63/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- -5 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 92 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
83/100
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 92 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 45 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
3 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Harriet Mary Clarke Individual · British · DOB 07/1942 · age 84 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · trust interest | 14/10/2024 |
Barnabas White-Spunner Individual · British · DOB 01/1967 · age 59 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · trust interest | 14/10/2024 |
Mr Rory Saint George Stephenson Clarke Individual · British · DOB 01/1934 · age 92 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · trust interest | 14/10/2024 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Rory Saint George Stephenson Clarkeceased 25/10/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% 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 · RH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACROKINGDOM LTD→ 15569253 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AEKO LTD→ 13416949 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AH & EH AGRI LTD→ 10299732 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AQUAMAINTAIN CONSULTANCY LTD→ 10724473 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ARBOR CURA TREE SURGERY LIMITED→ 08189827 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| ARBORIST TRAINING & CONSULTANCY LTD→ 14654717 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ARCHITECTURAL PLANTS 2020 LIMITED→ 12798275 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ARCHITECTURAL PLANTS LIMITED→ 02516000 · est 1990 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 35y | — | — |
| ASH COPSE FARM LIMITED→ 10009891 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ASHLAR SOLUTIONS LTD→ 11806848 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AT CONTRACTING LTD→ 15791816 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AW CONTRACTING SERVICES LTD→ 16259814 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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
Typeprivate-unlimited
Incorporated1981-08-03
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01500 — SIC 01500
Registered office
Estate Office Cinder Hill House
Horsted Keynes
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH17 7BD
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: —
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-28
Last: 2025-10-14
Officers (6 active · 1 resigned)
Active
Active
CLARKE, Hugo Rory Stephenson, Major→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2022-01-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CLARKE, Rory Saint George Stephenson→
Activedirector · ~92y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PEEL, Hannah Mary Stephenson→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2022-01-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WHITE-SPUNNER, Barnabas William Benjamin, Sir→
Activedirector · ~69y · appointed 2011-12-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CRAIG-MOONEY, Alexander→
Resigneddirector · ~94y · resigned 2011-12-06
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Security Trustee Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 05/08/2022 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 14/07/1998 | 24/12/2018 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (64 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-17
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-10-30
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-10-30
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-10-30
withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
2024-10-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-02
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-08-15
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-01-13
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-01-13
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC08
2022-01-13
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-06
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-01-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-12-30