AUSTONS DOWN LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
05066782 · ltd · incorporated 2004-03-08
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 01430SIC 01430
- 35110SIC 35110
- 82990Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
6 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 7.2y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 7.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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, 4 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (4 active, 8 linked, 6 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
81 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
82
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 · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 300 | 300 |
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
5
filings
- • 4 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
6
filings
- • 4 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (40 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-10📄replacement-filing-of-director-appointment-with-nameofficers · RP01AP01
- 2026-03-27📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2026-03-26📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2026-03-25➖HORNER, Simon John Dunstan, Mr. resigneddirector
- 2026-03-23📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-04-11📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-04-10📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-04-07📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-04-07📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-03-24🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Aldermore Bank PLC
- 2025-03-24🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Aldemore Bank PLC
- 2025-03-24🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Fleet Mortgages Limited
- 2025-03-24🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Aldemore Bank PLC
- 2024-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-18📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-08-18📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-08-16📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-08-02📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-08-02📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-07-23➕HORNER, James Michael Adam appointedsecretary
- 2022-07-23➖HORNER, John Nicholas, Dr resignedsecretary
- 2022-07-23➖HORNER, John Nicholas, Dr resigneddirector
- 2022-07-23📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-07-23📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2022-07-23📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-07-23📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-10-06➕HORNER, Lucy Mary appointeddirector
- 2021-05-27🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Paratus Amc Limited
- 2019-03-08🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Charter Court Financial Services Limited
- 2014-12-05➕HORNER, Simon John Dunstan appointeddirector
- 2014-12-05➕HORNER, Simon John Dunstan, Mr. appointeddirector
- 2011-03-30➖HORNER, Christopher William Martial, Dr. resigneddirector
- 2005-05-01➕HORNER, James Michael Adam appointeddirector
- 2004-03-08🏢Company incorporatedAs AUSTONS DOWN LIMITED
- 2004-03-08➕HORNER, John Nicholas, Dr appointedsecretary
- 2004-03-08➕HORNER, Christopher William Martial, Dr. appointeddirector
- 2004-03-08➕HORNER, John Nicholas, Dr appointeddirector
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
90/100
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 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 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 low6 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Simon John Dunstan Horner Individual · British · DOB 05/1993 · age 33 | — | — | board controlboard control | 02/08/2022 |
Mr James Michael Adam Horner Individual · British · DOB 09/1986 · age 40 | — | — | board controlboard control | 02/08/2022 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Dr John Nicholas Hornerceased 11/05/2022· significant influence
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 · Agriculture · CV postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A B LIVERY LIMITED→ 17003706 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AGRIFAB LTD→ 14754414 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ALDER MILL ENTERPRISE LTD→ 12766180 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| AVIAGEN LIMITED→ 01610943 · est 1982 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 44y | — | — |
| BEANIT FARM LIVERY LIMITED→ 15125073 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BELVOIRBED LTD→ 06471947 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| BRITISH CHAROLAIS CATTLE SOCIETY LIMITED (THE)→ 00731132 · est 1962 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 63y | — | — |
| BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY LIMITED→ 00989511 · est 1970 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 55y | — | — |
| BULKNATURE INTERNATIONAL HOLDING GROUP CO., LTD→ 13829536 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BURTON FARM LTD→ 13212756 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BUZZBERRIES LIMITED→ 15884346 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BYRD FARMING LIMITED→ 04914890 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
9 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
Incorporated2004-03-08
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Austons Down, Saddlebow Lane
Claverdon
Warwickshire
CV35 8PQ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-08
Last: 2026-03-25
Officers (4 active · 4 resigned)
HORNER, James Michael Adam→
Activesecretary · appointed 2022-07-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HORNER, James Michael Adam→
Activedirector · ~40y · appointed 2005-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HORNER, Lucy Mary→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2021-10-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HORNER, Simon John Dunstan→
Activedirector · ~33y · appointed 2014-12-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HORNER, John Nicholas, Dr→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-03-08 · resigned 2022-07-23
HORNER, Christopher William Martial, Dr.→
Resigneddirector · ~42y · appointed 2004-03-08 · resigned 2011-03-30
HORNER, John Nicholas, Dr→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · appointed 2004-03-08 · resigned 2022-07-23
HORNER, Simon John Dunstan, Mr.→
Resigneddirector · ~33y · appointed 2014-12-05 · resigned 2026-03-25
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
6
Total charges
6
Outstanding
5
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Aldermore Aldermore Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/03/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Aldemore Bank Aldemore Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/03/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Fleet Mortgages Fleet Mortgages Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/03/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Aldemore Bank Aldemore Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/03/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | Paratus Amc Paratus Amc Limited | A registered charge | 2 properties | 27/05/2021 | — | |
| outstanding | Precise Mortgages Charter Court Financial Services Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/03/2019 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (81 total)
replacement-filing-of-director-appointment-with-name
officers · RP01AP01
2026-04-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-02
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2026-03-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-03-26
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-03-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-03
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-04-11
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-04-10
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-04-07
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-04-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-25