DOWSON BLADES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
01994721 · ltd · incorporated 1986-03-03
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
£1.38M
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25990
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 79-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 79). 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: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

15 live charges · 8 lenders · oldest 39.9y

15/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 39.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 8 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, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
15 charges (15/15 with lender, 15/15 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
132 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £1,377,231
Net assets shrinking
Down £43,844 YoY
Cash YoY
+3909%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£155k
↑ 3909% YoY
Net Worth
£1.4m
↓ 3.1% YoY
Current Assets
£2.2m
↓ 3.1% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£450k£901k£1.4m£1.8m£2.3mMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£1.75M£1.76M
Current assets£2.18M£2.25M
Cash£155.3k£3.9k
Debtors£1.68M£1.59M
Net assets£1.38M£1.42M

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 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (49 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-04-29
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  3. 2025-04-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #13
  4. 2025-03-24
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  5. 2025-03-24
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  6. 2025-03-24
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #14
  7. 2025-03-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #15
    Lender: Ultimate Finance Limited
  8. 2024-12-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2024-07-31
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  10. 2024-07-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #14
    Lender: Nucleus Cash Flow FINANCE2 Limited
  11. 2023-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2022-06-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2022-06-27
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  14. 2022-06-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #13
    Lender: Santander UK PLC
  15. 2021-11-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2021-11-15
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  17. 2021-11-15
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  18. 2021-11-15
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #12
  19. 2021-11-15
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #11
  20. 2020-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  21. 2019-05-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2018-08-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  23. 2017-10-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  24. 2013-01-01
    ➖
    MARTIN, Katharine Elizabeth resigned
    director
  25. 2011-09-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #12
    Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
  26. 2011-09-02
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #10
  27. 2011-09-02
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #9
  28. 2011-09-02
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  29. 2011-08-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #11
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  30. 2008-12-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  31. 2006-06-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
  32. 2004-10-28
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  33. 2004-10-28
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  34. 2004-10-28
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  35. 2001-05-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  36. 2001-02-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  37. 2001-01-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  38. 1996-03-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  39. 1995-08-16
    ➕
    MARTIN, Katharine Elizabeth appointed
    director
  40. 1995-08-16
    ➖
    MURGATROYD, John Dowson resigned
    director
  41. 1994-07-09
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  42. 1994-07-09
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  43. 1994-07-09
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  44. 1993-08-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  45. 1991-12-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  46. 1989-09-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  47. 1986-09-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  48. 1986-08-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  49. 1986-03-03
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As DOWSON BLADES LIMITED

Owner dependency

90/100
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
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 79 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
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 79 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 40 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 med ·
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.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Robin James Duckitt
Individual · British · DOB 03/1947 · age 79
50–75%
50–75%board controlsig. influence50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control · significant influence · trust interest · firm interest06/04/2016

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.

See pricing →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

9 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
Incorporated1986-03-03
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25990 — SIC 25990

Registered office

Unit 6 West Cumbria Business Par
Derwent Howe
Workington
Cumbria
CA14 3YW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-12
Last: 2026-04-28

Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)

DUCKITT, Robin James→
secretary
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DUCKITT, Robin James→
director · ~79y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MARTIN, Katharine Elizabeth→
director · ~48y · appointed 1995-08-16 · resigned 2013-01-01
Resigned
MURGATROYD, John Dowson→
director · ~87y · resigned 1995-08-16
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

15
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:15 of 15 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Ultimate Finance
Ultimate Finance Limited
A registered charge1 property18/03/2025—
satisfied
Nucleus Cash Flow FINANCE2
Nucleus Cash Flow FINANCE2 Limited
A registered charge—19/07/202424/03/2025
satisfied
Santander
Santander UK PLC
A registered charge1 property24/06/202229/04/2025
satisfied
NatWest Group
Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
All assets debenture1 property20/09/201115/11/2021
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Debenture1 property22/08/201115/11/2021
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
Debenture1 property23/12/200802/09/2011
satisfied
NatWest Group
Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
Fixed and floating charge1 property19/06/200602/09/2011
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Legal charge1 property15/02/200128/10/2004
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Debenture1 property31/01/200102/09/2011
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property29/03/199628/10/2004
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Mortgage debenture1 property09/08/199310/05/2001
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property20/12/199128/10/2004
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Third party charge2 properties22/09/198909/07/1994
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Debenture1 property15/09/198609/07/1994
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property29/08/198609/07/1994
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (132 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-27
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-04-29
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-03-24
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-03-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-20
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-07-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-29
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-06-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-26