ACORN4MORTGAGES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04270415 · ltd · incorporated 2001-08-15
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 Sept 2025
Net worth
£81.4k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Activities of mortgage finance companies
Sector: Financial & insurance
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 66220Activities of insurance agents and brokers
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with exceptional profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 58). 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 (79/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
8 officers (1 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
79 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.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Positive net assets
Net assets £81,355
Net assets shrinking
Down £454 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£81k
~ YoY
Current Assets
£94k
↓ 1.8% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£19k£38k£57k£76k£96kSept 2024Sept 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2025-09-302024-09-30
Total assets£81.4k£81.8k
Current assets£93.8k£95.6k
Net assets£81.4k£81.8k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-12-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-06-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-11-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-03-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-05-04
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  7. 2021-01-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-11-18
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  9. 2020-09-30
    ➖
    DAVIS, Terence resigned
    director
  10. 2020-08-26
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  11. 2020-08-16
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  12. 2020-08-11
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  13. 2020-08-01
    ➖
    DAVIS, Terence resigned
    secretary
  14. 2020-05-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-11-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-12-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2017-01-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  18. 2011-09-08
    ➖
    ROWE, Julie resigned
    director
  19. 2004-09-02
    ➖
    ASKEY, Mark resigned
    director
  20. 2004-01-05
    ➕
    ROWE, Julie appointed
    director
  21. 2003-02-14
    ➖
    HAROLD, Andrew resigned
    director
  22. 2001-08-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ACORN4MORTGAGES LIMITED
  23. 2001-08-15
    ➕
    BARROWCLOUGH, Ian Keith appointed
    director
  24. 2001-08-15
    ➕
    DAVIS, Terence appointed
    secretary
  25. 2001-08-15
    ➕
    ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  26. 2001-08-15
    ➖
    ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2001-08-15
    ➕
    ASKEY, Mark appointed
    director
  28. 2001-08-15
    ➕
    DAVIS, Terence appointed
    director
  29. 2001-08-15
    ➕
    HAROLD, Andrew appointed
    director
  30. 2001-08-15
    ➕
    AR NOMINEES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  31. 2001-08-15
    ➖
    AR NOMINEES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100
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 25 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 25 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 25 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
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Ian Keith Barrowclough
Individual · British · DOB 09/1968 · age 58
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016
Mr Terence Davis
Individual · British · DOB 08/1955 · age 71
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% 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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Active · Financial services · CH postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
1FS LTD→
06180697 · est 2007 · no financials extracted
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12166771 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
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07783098 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
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52 FINANCE LIMITED→
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13901708 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
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ACCURO UNDERWRITING LTD→
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————25y——
ACE BIDCO LIMITED→
11702935 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
ACORN4MORTGAGES2 LIMITED→
12905161 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
ACTUARIAL ANALYTICS LIMITED→
11364889 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
ACTURA CAPITAL LTD→
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———————
ACUITY INVESTORS LTD→
16880832 · est 2025 · 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
Incorporated2001-08-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC64922 — Activities of mortgage finance companies

Registered office

The Office Ffordd Pentre Bach
Nercwys
Mold
CH7 4EG
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-29
Last: 2025-08-15

Officers (1 active · 7 resigned)

BARROWCLOUGH, Ian Keith→
director · ~58y · appointed 2001-08-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DAVIS, Terence→
secretary · appointed 2001-08-15 · resigned 2020-08-01
Resigned
ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-08-15 · resigned 2001-08-15
Resigned
ASKEY, Mark→
director · ~66y · appointed 2001-08-15 · resigned 2004-09-02
Resigned
DAVIS, Terence→
director · ~71y · appointed 2001-08-15 · resigned 2020-09-30
Resigned
HAROLD, Andrew→
director · ~60y · appointed 2001-08-15 · resigned 2003-02-14
Resigned
ROWE, Julie→
director · ~50y · appointed 2004-01-05 · resigned 2011-09-08
Resigned
AR NOMINEES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2001-08-15 · resigned 2001-08-15
Resigned

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

Recent filings (79 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-04-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-11-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-03-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-18
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-05-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-01-14
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2020-11-18
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2020-08-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-26