CHICHELEY FARMS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
02090018 · ltd · incorporated 1987-01-15
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.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 37.8y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 37.8y
85/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 37.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (2 active, 7 linked, 6 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
112 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
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 | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 400 | 400 |
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-11-25📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-11-24📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-11-24📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-11-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-18📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-09-27📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-09-26➕RUCK-KEENE, James Alexander appointeddirector
- 2024-06-18📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-05-07➖RUCK-KEENE, Claire Dorothy resigneddirector
- 2024-01-20📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2024-01-20📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-01-20📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2024-01-20📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2023-11-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-19📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2022-01-05📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-12-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2012-11-23➖LEWTON, Michael Cumberbirch resigneddirector
- 2012-11-23➕RUCK-KEENE, Claire Dorothy appointeddirector
- 2012-05-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2011-07-06➖CHESTER, John Greville Bagot, Major resigneddirector
- 2009-03-27➖BEAZLEY, Gilbert Cecil White resignedsecretary
- 2009-03-27➖BEAZLEY, Gilbert Cecil White resigneddirector
- 2000-11-17➕RUCK-KEENE, Robert John appointeddirector
- 1991-04-06➕LEWTON, Michael Cumberbirch appointeddirector
- 1988-08-10🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1987-01-15🏢Company incorporatedAs CHICHELEY FARMS LIMITED
Owner dependency
91/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 74 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
46/100
Moderate signalSome succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
SIGNALS
- primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — RUCK-KEENE, James Alexander (same surname) appointed 2024-09-26. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 74 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- 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
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr James Alexander Ruck-Keene Individual · British · DOB 07/1986 · age 40 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 19/11/2025 |
John Robert Ruck-Keene Individual · British · DOB 11/1982 · age 44 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 19/11/2025 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Robert John Ruck-Keeneceased 19/11/2025· 50-75% shares · 50-75% 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 · MK postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.CHANDLER (BEDFORD) LIMITED→ 02040024 · est 1986 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| A.M. EQUESTRIAN SERVICES LIMITED→ 16568452 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ATN FARMS LIMITED→ 10253034 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AVENUE FARM HOLDINGS LIMITED→ 16417325 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BEDFORDIA FARMS LIMITED→ 00607130 · est 1958 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 67y | — | — |
| BRICE EQUESTRIAN LTD→ 13947782 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BRICKHILL TREE PLANTING LTD→ 15789898 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BRIDGE FARM (WYMINGTON) LTD→ 09127637 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| C & P BIRD BROS. LIMITED→ 01333687 · est 1977 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 48y | — | — |
| CASTLE FIELDS HOLDINGS LIMITED→ 16437583 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CHERWOOD ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ 05632889 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| CHILLI RANCH LIMITED→ 14976070 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1987-01-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Home Farm
Chicheley
Newport Pagnell
Buckinghamshire
MK16 9JE
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-15
Last: 2025-12-01
Officers (2 active · 5 resigned)
RUCK-KEENE, James Alexander→
Activedirector · ~40y · appointed 2024-09-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
RUCK-KEENE, Robert John→
Activedirector · ~74y · appointed 2000-11-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BEAZLEY, Gilbert Cecil White→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2009-03-27
BEAZLEY, Gilbert Cecil White→
Resigneddirector · ~98y · resigned 2009-03-27
CHESTER, John Greville Bagot, Major→
Resigneddirector · ~101y · resigned 2011-07-06
LEWTON, Michael Cumberbirch→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · appointed 1991-04-06 · resigned 2012-11-23
RUCK-KEENE, Claire Dorothy→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 2012-11-23 · resigned 2024-05-07
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 10/08/1988 | 11/05/2012 |
Recent filings (112 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-01
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-11-25
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-11-24
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-11-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-22
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-11-18
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-09-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-06-18
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2024-01-20
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-01-20
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2024-01-20
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2024-01-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-05