CHURCH FARM ARDELEY C.I.C.

💤Zombieactive
04523772 · ltd · incorporated 2002-09-02
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
76/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 01500
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 93290Other amusement and recreation activities n.e.c.
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 76/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: 1 insolvency-related filing on record. Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 17.4y

30/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 17.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (55/100)

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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (1 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
84 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
76/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 officers
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 officers
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 officers
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-19
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  2. 2026-04-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-11-20
    📄
    capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
    capital · SH19
  4. 2025-11-20
    📄
    legacy
    capital · SH20
  5. 2025-11-20
    ⚠️
    legacy
    insolvency · CAP-SS
  6. 2025-11-20
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  7. 2025-01-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2024-08-22
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  9. 2024-08-22
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  10. 2024-05-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2023-04-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2023-04-03
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  13. 2023-04-03
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  14. 2023-02-15
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  15. 2023-02-15
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  16. 2022-04-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2021-07-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2020-04-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2019-04-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2015-10-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  21. 2014-08-02
    ➖
    BUXTON, David John resigned
    secretary
  22. 2010-02-11
    ➖
    BUXTON, David John resigned
    director
  23. 2009-03-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Triodos Bank Nv
  24. 2003-09-19
    ➖
    HILLIARD, Jennifer May resigned
    director
  25. 2003-08-20
    ➖
    WILLIAMSON, Malcolm Alan resigned
    director
  26. 2003-05-28
    ➖
    ALDEN, Nigel Charles resigned
    director
  27. 2003-02-28
    ➕
    ALDEN, Nigel Charles appointed
    director
  28. 2003-02-28
    ➕
    HILLIARD, Jennifer May appointed
    director
  29. 2002-10-11
    ➕
    BUXTON, David John appointed
    director
  30. 2002-10-11
    ➕
    WILLIAMSON, Malcolm Alan appointed
    director
  31. 2002-09-02
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CHURCH FARM ARDELEY C.I.C.
  32. 2002-09-02
    ➕
    WAYGOOD, Timothy James appointed
    director
  33. 2002-09-02
    ➕
    BUXTON, David John appointed
    secretary
  34. 2002-09-02
    ➕
    CHETTLEBURGHS SECRETARIAL LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  35. 2002-09-02
    ➖
    CHETTLEBURGHS SECRETARIAL LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary

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 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — 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 60. 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 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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

1 high ·
1 insolvency-related filing on record
high

Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.

Evidence: 2025-11-20: legacy

Group structure

Waygood Holdings Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Waygood Holdings Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
CHURCH FARM ARDELEY C.I.C.
This company · 04523772

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Waygood Holdings Ltd
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control30/06/2021
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Tim James Waygoodceased 30/06/2021· 25-50% shares

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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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 →
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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.

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Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2002-09-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01500 — SIC 01500

Registered office

Church Farm
Ardeley
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG2 7AH

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-08
Last: 2026-02-22

Officers (1 active · 6 resigned)

WAYGOOD, Timothy James→
director · ~60y · appointed 2002-09-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BUXTON, David John→
secretary · appointed 2002-09-02 · resigned 2014-08-02
Resigned
CHETTLEBURGHS SECRETARIAL LTD→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-09-02 · resigned 2002-09-02
Resigned
ALDEN, Nigel Charles→
director · ~73y · appointed 2003-02-28 · resigned 2003-05-28
Resigned
BUXTON, David John→
director · ~61y · appointed 2002-10-11 · resigned 2010-02-11
Resigned
HILLIARD, Jennifer May→
director · ~79y · appointed 2003-02-28 · resigned 2003-09-19
Resigned
WILLIAMSON, Malcolm Alan→
director · ~74y · appointed 2002-10-11 · resigned 2003-08-20
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
A registered charge—06/10/201503/04/2023
satisfied
Triodos Bank Nv
Debenture1 property10/03/200922/08/2024

Recent filings (84 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-07-03
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-06-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-04
capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figure
capital · SH19
2025-11-20
legacy
capital · SH20
2025-11-20
legacy
insolvency · CAP-SS
2025-11-20
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-11-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-10
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-04-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-20