39 ACRES SW LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03208877 · ltd · incorporated 1996-06-06
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 79-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 79). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (56/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 4 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
83 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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (33 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-06-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-04-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-05-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-06-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-04-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-06-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-06-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-04-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2017-08-08
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  11. 2017-06-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-08-22
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  13. 2016-06-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2015-07-20
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2015-06-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2014-07-14
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  17. 2001-05-20
    ➕
    BARTLAM, Edward Andrew Ashenhurst appointed
    secretary
  18. 2001-05-20
    ➖
    CEP SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  19. 1999-01-14
    ➕
    BARTLAM, Thomas Hugh appointed
    director
  20. 1999-01-14
    ➖
    BUTLER, Helen Mary resigned
    secretary
  21. 1999-01-14
    ➕
    CEP SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  22. 1999-01-14
    ➖
    BUTLER, Helen Mary resigned
    director
  23. 1999-01-14
    ➖
    THOMAS, Edward Hugh resigned
    director
  24. 1996-11-28
    ➖
    BUTLER, Mark Northcroft resigned
    director
  25. 1996-11-28
    ➕
    THOMAS, Edward Hugh appointed
    director
  26. 1996-06-13
    ➕
    BUTLER, Helen Mary appointed
    secretary
  27. 1996-06-13
    ➖
    COLE AND COLE(NOMINEES)LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  28. 1996-06-13
    ➕
    BUTLER, Helen Mary appointed
    director
  29. 1996-06-13
    ➕
    BUTLER, Mark Northcroft appointed
    director
  30. 1996-06-13
    ➖
    MORGAN COLE (DIRECTORS) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-director
  31. 1996-06-06
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As 39 ACRES SW LIMITED
  32. 1996-06-06
    ➕
    COLE AND COLE(NOMINEES)LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  33. 1996-06-06
    ➕
    MORGAN COLE (DIRECTORS) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 27 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 79 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
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.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 27 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 30 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Thomas Hugh Bartlam
Individual · British · DOB 12/1947 · age 79
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting06/04/2016

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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AGRI AERIAL DRONES (UK) LIMITED→
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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
Incorporated1996-06-06
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds

Registered office

93 St. Georges Place
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50 3QB

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-20
Last: 2025-06-06

Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)

BARTLAM, Edward Andrew Ashenhurst→
secretary · appointed 2001-05-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BARTLAM, Thomas Hugh→
director · ~79y · appointed 1999-01-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BUTLER, Helen Mary→
secretary · appointed 1996-06-13 · resigned 1999-01-14
Resigned
CEP SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1999-01-14 · resigned 2001-05-20
Resigned
COLE AND COLE(NOMINEES)LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1996-06-06 · resigned 1996-06-13
Resigned
BUTLER, Helen Mary→
director · ~73y · appointed 1996-06-13 · resigned 1999-01-14
Resigned
BUTLER, Mark Northcroft→
director · ~77y · appointed 1996-06-13 · resigned 1996-11-28
Resigned
THOMAS, Edward Hugh→
director · ~78y · appointed 1996-11-28 · resigned 1999-01-14
Resigned
MORGAN COLE (DIRECTORS) LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 1996-06-06 · resigned 1996-06-13
Resigned

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

Recent filings (83 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-05-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-06-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-04-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-06-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-04-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-06-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-06-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-06-10