LAWSONS (WHETSTONE) LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
02790259 · ltd · incorporated 1993-02-16
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
70/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46730
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 70/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 94). Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: 1 insolvency-related filing on record. Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (45/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
18 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 33.1y
40/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 33.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 53/100 (high).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)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
18 charges (18/18 with lender, 18/18 with type)
90
Directors & officers
31 officers (7 active, 31 linked, 22 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
18 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
204 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
70/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
56
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
5
filings
- • 2 capital
- • 1 insolvency
- • 1 resolution
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (107 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-20📄capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figurecapital · SH19
- 2026-02-20📄legacycapital · SH20
- 2026-02-20⚠️legacyinsolvency · CAP-SS
- 2026-02-20📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2026-01-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-02📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-09-01➕PITTINGALE, Allun appointeddirector
- 2025-07-01➕MORTON, Ciaran Gregory appointeddirector
- 2025-07-01📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-06-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-05-31➖NORRIS, Jeremy Nicholas resigneddirector
- 2025-04-01➕PETERSON, David William appointeddirector
- 2025-04-01📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-02-28➖COAKLEY, Ricky Eamonn resigneddirector
- 2025-02-28📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-04📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-12-02📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-11-28➖ELLIOTT, Anthony John resigneddirector
- 2024-11-28🔒Charge registered #18Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2024-09-30➖RUSHENT, Paul Julian resignedsecretary
- 2024-09-30➖RUSHENT, Paul Julian resigneddirector
- 2024-09-30📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-09-30📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2024-07-11📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-07-11🔓Charge satisfied #14
- 2024-06-04📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-05-13➕HARRISON, Christopher Mark appointeddirector
- 2024-03-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-07📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-08-07📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-07-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-08➕COAKLEY, Ricky Eamonn appointeddirector
- 2022-08-25➖BENTON, Paul Walter resigneddirector
- 2020-05-08➖SEXTON, Paul William resigneddirector
- 2020-02-17🔒Charge registered #17Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2019-08-08🔒Charge registered #16Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2018-09-27🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2018-08-01➕RUSHENT, Paul Julian appointedsecretary
- 2018-08-01➕RUSHENT, Paul Julian appointeddirector
- 2018-07-31➖BENTON, Paul Walter resignedsecretary
- 2018-06-30➕BENTON, Paul Walter appointedsecretary
- 2018-06-29➖WELLER, David Roy resignedsecretary
- 2018-06-29➖WELLER, David Roy resigneddirector
- 2018-06-14🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2018-06-13🔓Charge satisfied #13
- 2018-06-13🔓Charge satisfied #12
- 2018-06-13🔓Charge satisfied #11
- 2018-06-13🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2018-06-13🔓Charge satisfied #4
Showing most recent 50 of 107 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
- -7 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "LAWSON" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 94 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
80/100
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 94 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 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
1 high · 1 med · 1 low1 insolvency-related filing on record
highFilings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2026-02-20: legacy
Charge 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.
Group structure
Lawsons Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Lawsons Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
LAWSONS (WHETSTONE) LIMITED
This company · 02790259
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lawsons Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 07/04/2016 |
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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| ALAMI INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→ 01149214 · est 1973 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 52y | — | — |
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| ALMA UK INTERNATIONAL LTD→ 09106996 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ALPHA PNEUMATIC SUPPLIES LIMITED→ 02953130 · est 1994 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 31y | — | — |
| AMAIN LTD→ 16255315 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AMBITION INTERNATIONAL LTD→ 14557066 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
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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
Incorporated1993-02-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46730 — SIC 46730
Registered office
Tyttenhanger Farm
Coursers Road
Colney Heath
Hertfordshire
AL4 0PG
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-14
Last: 2025-10-31
Officers (7 active · 24 resigned)
HARRISON, Christopher Mark→
Activedirector · ~45y · appointed 2024-05-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HILLIER, Michael Terence→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2011-04-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
LAWSON, John Edmund Maltby→
Activedirector · ~94y · appointed 1993-04-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
LAWSON, Simon John→
Activedirector · ~66y · appointed 1993-04-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MORTON, Ciaran Gregory→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2025-07-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PETERSON, David William→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2025-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PITTINGALE, Allun→
Activedirector · ~55y · appointed 2025-09-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BENTON, Paul Walter→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2018-06-30 · resigned 2018-07-31
BENTON, Paul Walter→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1993-04-28 · resigned 2011-10-18
HARDMAN, Jane Maria→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2016-07-01 · resigned 2018-04-12
RUSHENT, Paul Julian→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2018-08-01 · resigned 2024-09-30
WATTS, Jerome Justin Sebastian, Dr→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1993-03-05 · resigned 1993-04-28
WELLER, David Roy→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2018-04-12 · resigned 2018-06-29
WELLER, David Roy→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2011-10-18 · resigned 2016-07-01
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1993-02-16 · resigned 1993-03-05
BENTON, Paul Walter→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · appointed 1993-04-26 · resigned 2022-08-25
COAKLEY, Ricky Eamonn→
Resigneddirector · ~39y · appointed 2022-10-08 · resigned 2025-02-28
COOKE, Simon Henry→
Resigneddirector · ~94y · appointed 1993-04-28 · resigned 2004-12-31
DOWDESWELL, Alexander Stuart→
Resigneddirector · ~55y · appointed 2004-04-26 · resigned 2007-12-10
ELLIOTT, Anthony John→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 2005-12-01 · resigned 2024-11-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
18
Total charges
6
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:18 of 18 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 28/11/2024 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 17/02/2020 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/08/2019 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 27/09/2018 | — | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 27/10/2005 | 11/07/2024 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 28/08/2003 | 13/06/2018 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 21/10/2002 | 13/06/2018 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 30/03/2001 | 13/06/2018 | |
| satisfied | The Secretary of State for Defence | Clawback legal charge | 2 properties | 30/03/2001 | 14/06/2018 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 02/06/2000 | 13/06/2018 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 07/06/1995 | 11/02/1997 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/03/1995 | 25/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/03/1995 | 25/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 12/08/1994 | 28/11/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 30/04/1993 | 13/06/2018 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 30/04/1993 | 13/06/2018 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 30/04/1993 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 30/04/1993 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (204 total)
capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
capital · SH19
2026-02-20
legacy
capital · SH20
2026-02-20
legacy
insolvency · CAP-SS
2026-02-20
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2026-02-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-31
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-09-02
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-07-01
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-06-03
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-04-01
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-31
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-12-04
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-12-02