CHAPEL HOUSE PUBLISHING OXFORD LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03480696 · ltd · incorporated 1997-12-15
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 Jun 2025
Net worth
£38.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Non-specialised wholesale trade
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 78-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 78). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 28.4y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 28.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (76/100)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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (1 active, 7 linked, 1 with DOB)
73
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
93 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £38,252
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£46k
Net Worth
£38k
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-06-30 | 2024-06-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £38.3k | — |
| Cash | £45.9k | — |
| Net assets | £38.3k | — |
| Average employees | — | 100 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-26📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2019-04-26📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-04-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-12-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-03-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-03-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-01-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-12-23📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2011-12-14➖ROBINSON, Toni resignedsecretary
- 2009-06-01➖AUSTIN, Noel Christopher resignedsecretary
- 2009-06-01➕ROBINSON, Toni appointedsecretary
- 2003-01-01➕AUSTIN, Noel Christopher appointedsecretary
- 2002-12-31➖GREENWOOD, Mark Stephen resignedsecretary
- 2001-01-02➕GREENWOOD, Mark Stephen appointedsecretary
- 2001-01-02➖ROBINSON, Toni Michelle resignedsecretary
- 1998-02-23🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1997-12-15🏢Company incorporatedAs CHAPEL HOUSE PUBLISHING OXFORD LIMITED
- 1997-12-15➕ROBINSON, Wendy Ann appointeddirector
- 1997-12-15➕ROBINSON, Toni Michelle appointedsecretary
- 1997-12-15➕FNCS SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-12-15➖FNCS SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-12-15➕FNCS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1997-12-15➖FNCS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
100/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
100/100
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 78 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 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- 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
cleanNo 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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Wendy Ann Robinson Individual · British · DOB 02/1948 · age 78 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Wholesale & distribution · OX postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BANBURY COMMODITIES LIMITED→ 10483807 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| BLUE CAP COFFEE RETAIL LTD→ 07719559 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| BLUE TRIANGLE LIMITED→ 15338428 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BUNGE UK LIMITED→ 00961989 · est 1969 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 56y | — | — |
| CAIGATE HYBRID MICROGRID LIMITED→ 11287424 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| CANNASA LIMITED→ 11435957 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| CATWALK WHOLESALE LIMITED→ 06977632 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| CENTURIAN SOFT DRINKS LTD→ 07116828 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| CHAMPION HEALTHCARE LIMITED→ 10131547 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| CHAPTER92 LTD→ 16532693 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CHELIBRICKS LIMITED→ 14078883 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| CHERWELL ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES LTD→ 05875601 · 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
Incorporated1997-12-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46900 — Non-specialised wholesale trade
Registered office
4 Walker Lane
Southmoor
Abingdon
Oxfordshire
OX13 5NH
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-03
Last: 2025-11-19
Officers (1 active · 6 resigned)
ROBINSON, Wendy Ann→
Activedirector · ~78y · appointed 1997-12-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
AUSTIN, Noel Christopher→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-01-01 · resigned 2009-06-01
GREENWOOD, Mark Stephen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-01-02 · resigned 2002-12-31
ROBINSON, Toni→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2009-06-01 · resigned 2011-12-14
ROBINSON, Toni Michelle→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1997-12-15 · resigned 2001-01-02
FNCS SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1997-12-15 · resigned 1997-12-15
FNCS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-12-15 · resigned 1997-12-15
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 23/02/1998 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (93 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-07-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-12-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-12-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-10-18
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2019-04-26