CHALK DOWN LIME LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03452949 · ltd · incorporated 1997-10-21
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 Oct 2025
Net worth
£341.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 23520
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 6 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
85 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £341,093
Cash YoY
-10%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£201k
↓ 9.5% YoY
Net Worth
£341k
↑ 14% YoY
Current Assets
£382k
↑ 6.3% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£76k£153k£229k£306k£382kOct 2024Oct 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-10-312024-10-31
Total assets£389.6k£352.3k
Current assets£382.0k£359.3k
Cash£200.8k£222.0k
Debtors£74.5k£59.2k
Net assets£341.1k£298.2k

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
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 (34 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-06-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-07-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2024-06-17
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  5. 2023-05-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-06-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-06-10
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  8. 2021-12-16
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  9. 2021-06-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-01-26
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  11. 2021-01-25
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  12. 2021-01-25
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  13. 2021-01-25
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  14. 2021-01-25
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  15. 2020-07-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-07-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2013-11-30
    ➖
    REED, Paul resigned
    director
  19. 2010-05-25
    ➕
    REED, Declan Pierce appointed
    director
  20. 2007-01-31
    ➕
    REED, Declan Pierce appointed
    secretary
  21. 2007-01-31
    ➖
    REED, Paul resigned
    secretary
  22. 2007-01-31
    ➖
    SCOTT, Anne resigned
    director
  23. 2000-03-01
    ➖
    AVERY, Kevin Frank resigned
    director
  24. 2000-03-01
    ➖
    AVERY, Spencer Geoffrey resigned
    director
  25. 2000-03-01
    ➕
    SCOTT, Anne appointed
    director
  26. 1997-10-31
    ➕
    REED, Paul appointed
    secretary
  27. 1997-10-31
    ➖
    WATKINS, Margaret Mary resigned
    secretary
  28. 1997-10-31
    ➕
    AVERY, Kevin Frank appointed
    director
  29. 1997-10-31
    ➕
    AVERY, Spencer Geoffrey appointed
    director
  30. 1997-10-31
    ➖
    MCCOLLUM, Anglea Jean resigned
    director
  31. 1997-10-31
    ➕
    REED, Paul appointed
    director
  32. 1997-10-21
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CHALK DOWN LIME LIMITED
  33. 1997-10-21
    ➕
    WATKINS, Margaret Mary appointed
    secretary
  34. 1997-10-21
    ➕
    MCCOLLUM, Anglea Jean appointed
    director

Owner dependency

85/100
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 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

68/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 29 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

2 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Declan Pierce Reed
Individual · British · DOB 02/1982 · age 44
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
Mrs Viera Reed
Individual · Slovak · DOB 07/1983 · age 43
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting16/12/2021

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 · Manufacturing · TN postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ACT ENGINEERING LIMITED→
15114996 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ADVARTEX LIMITED→
01312944 · est 1977 · no financials extracted
————48y——
AERODYNAMIC TEST EQUIPMENT LIMITED→
07215653 · est 2010 · no financials extracted
————16y——
AJG AVIATION LTD→
14913041 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ALISON ARDEN ACUPUNCTURE LTD→
15971208 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ALL ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE LTD→
16623718 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
ALL ASPECTS CONSTRUCTION LTD→
16238579 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ALL CNC LTD→
15403714 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ALPHA THERM LIMITED→
00882439 · est 1966 · no financials extracted
————59y——
ALSTON ELECTRICAL LIMITED→
09863041 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
————10y——
ALTA8 LIMITED→
10180052 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
AMAC RECORDS & MANUFACTURING LTD→
15958946 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
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
Incorporated1997-10-21
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC23520 — SIC 23520

Registered office

Landgate Chambers
24 Landgate
Rye
East Sussex
TN31 7LJ

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-15
Last: 2025-06-01

Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)

REED, Declan Pierce→
secretary · appointed 2007-01-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
REED, Declan Pierce→
director · ~44y · appointed 2010-05-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
REED, Paul→
secretary · appointed 1997-10-31 · resigned 2007-01-31
Resigned
WATKINS, Margaret Mary→
secretary · appointed 1997-10-21 · resigned 1997-10-31
Resigned
AVERY, Kevin Frank→
director · ~59y · appointed 1997-10-31 · resigned 2000-03-01
Resigned
AVERY, Spencer Geoffrey→
director · ~80y · appointed 1997-10-31 · resigned 2000-03-01
Resigned
MCCOLLUM, Anglea Jean→
director · ~63y · appointed 1997-10-21 · resigned 1997-10-31
Resigned
REED, Paul→
director · ~78y · appointed 1997-10-31 · resigned 2013-11-30
Resigned
SCOTT, Anne→
director · ~79y · appointed 2000-03-01 · resigned 2007-01-31
Resigned

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

Recent filings (85 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-25
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-10
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-06-10
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2021-12-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-06-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-02
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-01-26