H SHEPHERD & SON LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
05379709 · ltd · incorporated 2005-03-01
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 Apr 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 01500
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 81). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 16.6y

45/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 16.6 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
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
69 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
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
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Apr 2024Apr 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-04-302024-04-30
Average employees00

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
1
filing
  • • 1 gazette
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 gazette
  • • 1 dissolution
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 1 gazette
  • • 1 dissolution
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-28
    📄
    gazette-notice-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ1(A)
  2. 2026-04-17
    📄
    dissolution-application-strike-off-company
    dissolution · DS01
  3. 2026-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2025-03-04
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  5. 2025-01-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-11-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-11-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-02-24
    📍
    change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
    address · AD02
  10. 2020-09-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-11-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-01-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2018-03-09
    📍
    change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
    address · AD02
  14. 2018-01-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-01-01
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  16. 2018-01-01
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  17. 2018-01-01
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  18. 2017-12-24
    ➖
    SHEPHERD, Diana Mary resigned
    secretary
  19. 2017-12-24
    ➖
    SHEPHERD, Diana Mary resigned
    director
  20. 2009-10-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  21. 2005-03-01
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As H SHEPHERD & SON LIMITED
  22. 2005-03-01
    ➕
    SHEPHERD, Anthony Winston appointed
    director
  23. 2005-03-01
    ➕
    SHEPHERD, Diana Mary appointed
    secretary
  24. 2005-03-01
    ➕
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  25. 2005-03-01
    ➖
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  26. 2005-03-01
    ➕
    SHEPHERD, Diana Mary appointed
    director
  27. 2005-03-01
    ➕
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  28. 2005-03-01
    ➖
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "SHEPHERD" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 81 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 81 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 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 21 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high ·
Confirmation statement overdue
high

Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.

Evidence: Next due: 2026-03-01

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Anthony Winston Shepherd
Individual · British · DOB 03/1945 · age 81
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mrs Diana Mary Shepherdceased 27/08/2017· 25-50% shares

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

Similar companies

Active · Agriculture · TF postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
CEC EQUINE SUPPLEMENTS LTD→
11690832 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
CITY GREENS FOODTECH LTD→
15945777 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
EM & AM LIVESTOCK LTD→
15934572 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
FIELDS FARM ASHLEY LTD→
07512737 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
————15y——
FORESTER AND ARBORIST SERVICES LIMITED→
07037426 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————16y——
FOXBRIDGE ANIMAL HOTEL LIMITED→
10867246 · est 2017 · no financials extracted
————8y——
FRASER'S WOOD CIC→
14228486 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
G J HEAPS LTD→
12205799 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
G.WHITFIELD & SON LIMITED→
00754214 · est 1963 · no financials extracted
————63y——
GRIFFITHS FARMS LTD→
15324195 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
H.TIMMIS(FARMS)LIMITED→
00531390 · est 1954 · no financials extracted
————72y——
HANCOCK'S HORSES LIMITED→
03483853 · est 1997 · no financials extracted
————28y——
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
Incorporated2005-03-01
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01500 — SIC 01500

Registered office

Park Heath Smallholding
Cheswardine
Market Drayton
Shropshire
TF9 2NP
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-03-01OVERDUE
Last: 2025-02-15

Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)

SHEPHERD, Anthony Winston→
director · ~81y · appointed 2005-03-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SHEPHERD, Diana Mary→
secretary · appointed 2005-03-01 · resigned 2017-12-24
Resigned
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2005-03-01 · resigned 2005-03-01
Resigned
SHEPHERD, Diana Mary→
director · ~82y · appointed 2005-03-01 · resigned 2017-12-24
Resigned
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2005-03-01 · resigned 2005-03-01
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Debenture1 property19/10/2009—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (69 total)

gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2026-04-28
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2026-04-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-04
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-01-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-11-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-11-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-12-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-24
change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
address · AD02
2021-02-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-09-09