COUNTY HARDWOODS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
03618645 · ltd · incorporated 1998-08-19
Investment thesis
Property vehicle with a workable charge structure — clean refinance potential.
Why interesting: Asset-backed; value largely in underlying property; lender engagement likely possible.
Why risky: Dependent on title and valuation due diligence; standard property risks.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 27.5y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46760
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 68209Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 71-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 71). 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 (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · oldest 27.5y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 27.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
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
74 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.
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 | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 200 | 200 |
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 (26 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-20📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-07-20🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2022-11-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-22📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2022-04-22📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2022-04-22📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2022-04-21📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2021-10-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-10-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2000-03-29➕SMYTH, Moira Jane appointeddirector
- 1999-09-20🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1999-01-12🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1998-08-19🏢Company incorporatedAs COUNTY HARDWOODS LIMITED
- 1998-08-19➕SMYTH, Moira Jane appointedsecretary
- 1998-08-19➕SMYTH, Nicholas Robert Joseph appointeddirector
- 1998-08-19➕FORBES SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1998-08-19➖FORBES SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1998-08-19➕FORBES NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1998-08-19➖FORBES NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
91/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 71 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
96/100
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 71 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 28 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 28 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
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Nicholas Robert Joseph Smyth Individual · English · DOB 01/1955 · age 71 | 50–75% | 50–75% | sig. influence50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · significant influence | 19/08/2016 |
Mrs Moira Jane Smyth Individual · English · DOB 05/1955 · age 71 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 19/08/2016 |
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 · Wholesale & distribution · TA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BONING TRADE LTD→ 15209502 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BRITBUYZ LTD→ 16674720 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BUILDING VISION ALGERIA LIMITED→ 12710393 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| C.E.MCKAY LTD→ 06658370 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| CARD LINE (WEST COUNTRY) LIMITED→ 05036687 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| CLEANING SOLUTIONS UK LTD→ 08333360 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| COMPASS TRACTORS LIMITED→ 04991388 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| CONTROL METRIX LTD→ 15910023 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| COOL STOP AIR CONDITIONING LIMITED→ 02789189 · est 1993 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 33y | — | — |
| COOL STOP ONLINE LIMITED→ 13243429 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| COW RECOVERY LIMITED→ 16299099 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| COWLING AGRICULTURE LIMITED→ 17121578 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated1998-08-19
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46760 — SIC 46760
Registered office
Creech Mill
Creech St Michael
Taunton
Somerset
TA3 5PX
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-02
Last: 2025-08-19
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
Active
SMYTH, Moira Jane→
Activedirector · ~71y · appointed 2000-03-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SMYTH, Nicholas Robert Joseph→
Activedirector · ~71y · appointed 1998-08-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FORBES SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1998-08-19 · resigned 1998-08-19
FORBES NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1998-08-19 · resigned 1998-08-19
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 20/09/1999 | 20/07/2023 | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 12/01/1999 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (74 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-29
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-07-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-06
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2022-04-22
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-04-22
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2022-04-22
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-04-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-08