COLIN BRADLEY LTD
🌳Matureactive
02523352 · ltd · incorporated 1990-07-18
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 52219SIC 52219
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 72-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 72). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
19 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 30.8y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 30.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (81/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
19 charges (19/19 with lender, 19/19 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 6 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
156 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.
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 | 2025-02-28 | 2024-02-29 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 900 | 500 |
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 (62 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-29📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2021-07-29📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2021-07-28📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2020-10-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-02📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-10-02📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-10-02🔓Charge satisfied #15
- 2020-10-02🔓Charge satisfied #14
- 2020-08-07📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-08-07🔓Charge satisfied #16
- 2020-06-11📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-06-11📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-06-04🔒Charge registered #19Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2020-06-04🔒Charge registered #18Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2020-06-01📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-05-27🔒Charge registered #17Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2019-10-31📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2019-10-24📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2019-10-21➕PATTERSON, Samuel Joseph appointeddirector
- 2019-06-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-03-15➖BRADLEY, Suzan Margaret resigneddirector
- 2015-03-31🔓Charge satisfied #13
- 2015-03-31🔓Charge satisfied #12
- 2015-03-31🔓Charge satisfied #11
- 2015-03-04🔒Charge registered #16Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2015-03-04🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2015-03-04🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2005-05-10🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2005-05-06🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2005-05-06🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2005-05-06🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2005-05-06🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2005-05-06🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2005-05-06🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2005-04-15🔒Charge registered #13Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
- 2005-04-15🔒Charge registered #12Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
- 2005-04-04🔒Charge registered #11Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 2004-03-16🔒Charge registered #10Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2004-02-23🔒Charge registered #9Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2004-02-13🔒Charge registered #8Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2000-01-07🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 1999-08-11➖BOWERS, Andrew resigneddirector
- 1999-07-01🔒Charge registered #7Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1999-07-01🔒Charge registered #6Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1997-08-06➕BRADLEY, Suzan Margaret appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 62 events
Owner dependency
88/100
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 name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BRADLEY" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 72 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
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 72 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 36 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
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Colin William Bradley Individual · British · DOB 04/1954 · age 72 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Agriculture · PR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLAUGHTON CALF COMPANY LIMITED→ 07722781 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| D HARGREAVES & SON LIMITED→ 04678070 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| DE PICKERVANCE & SONS LTD→ 08403630 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| DEEP CLOUGH FARM LIMITED→ 14751384 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| DENIZES LABRADORS LTD→ 15270662 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| DJ CLARKE FARMING LIMITED→ 07658342 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| DPJ EQUINE LIMITED→ 14427486 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| DUERDEN BROS. LIMITED→ 00293137 · est 1934 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 91y | — | — |
| DWB FARMING LTD→ 11537500 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| E.BALL & CO.(BANKS)LIMITED→ 00589867 · est 1957 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 68y | — | — |
| E.N. COXHEAD LIMITED→ 03900701 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| EAGLE HEIGHTS (NORTH WEST) LIMITED→ 05880194 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1990-07-18
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Westfield Farm Mythop Road
Weeton
Preston
PR4 3NJ
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-01
Last: 2025-07-18
Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)
Active
Active
PATTERSON, Samuel Joseph→
Activedirector · ~38y · appointed 2019-10-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BOWERS, Andrew→
Resigneddirector · ~87y · appointed 1995-09-27 · resigned 1999-08-11
BRADLEY, Suzan Margaret→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · appointed 1997-08-06 · resigned 2017-03-15
BRADLEY, Suzan Margaret→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · resigned 1995-09-27
BUTLER, Harold→
Resigneddirector · ~86y · appointed 1995-09-27 · resigned 1997-03-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
19
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:19 of 19 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 04/06/2020 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 2 properties | 04/06/2020 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 27/05/2020 | — | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | A registered charge | 1 property | 04/03/2015 | 07/08/2020 | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | A registered charge | 1 property | 04/03/2015 | 02/10/2020 | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | A registered charge | 1 property | 04/03/2015 | 02/10/2020 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 15/04/2005 | 31/03/2015 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | — | 15/04/2005 | 31/03/2015 | |
| satisfied | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Debenture | 1 property | 04/04/2005 | 31/03/2015 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 16/03/2004 | 10/05/2005 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/02/2004 | 06/05/2005 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 13/02/2004 | 06/05/2005 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 01/07/1999 | 06/05/2005 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 01/07/1999 | 06/05/2005 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 29/09/1995 | 06/05/2005 | |
| satisfied | Andrew Bowers | Mortgage | 1 property | 29/09/1995 | 03/04/1997 | |
| satisfied | Colin William Bradley | Mortgage | 1 property | 29/09/1995 | 07/01/2000 | |
| satisfied | Harold Butler | Mortgage | 1 property | 29/09/1995 | 03/04/1997 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 29/09/1995 | 06/05/2005 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (156 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-10-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-06-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-10-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-25
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2021-07-29
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2021-07-29
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2021-07-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2020-10-12
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2020-10-02