CASTLE GUNMAKERS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
06553111 · ltd · incorporated 2008-04-02
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jan 2025
Net worth
£25.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 47640
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 84-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 84). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 6 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
63 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 £25,917

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£26k
↑ 95% YoY
Current Assets
£97k
~ YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£19k£39k£58k£78k£97kJan 2024Jan 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2025-01-312024-01-31
Total assets£60.8k£65.3k
Current assets£97.2k£96.8k
Net assets£25.9k£13.3k

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 (32 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-04-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-10-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-09-27
    ➖
    WINTER, Keith John resigned
    director
  4. 2024-09-27
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  5. 2023-09-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-09-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-10-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-06-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-03-10
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  10. 2020-03-05
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  11. 2020-03-05
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  12. 2020-03-05
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  13. 2020-03-05
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  14. 2020-02-19
    ➖
    HENDY, Ian Robert resigned
    secretary
  15. 2020-02-19
    ➖
    HENDY, Ian Robert resigned
    director
  16. 2019-10-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-05-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2017-10-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2013-04-05
    ➖
    WILCOX, Victoria Heather resigned
    director
  20. 2008-11-09
    ➖
    BARKER, Stephen Alan resigned
    director
  21. 2008-04-02
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CASTLE GUNMAKERS LIMITED
  22. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    WILCOX, Barry appointed
    director
  23. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    WILCOX, Sam Spencer appointed
    director
  24. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    HENDY, Ian Robert appointed
    secretary
  25. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  26. 2008-04-02
    ➖
    SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    BARKER, Stephen Alan appointed
    director
  28. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    HENDY, Ian Robert appointed
    director
  29. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    WILCOX, Victoria Heather appointed
    director
  30. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    WINTER, Keith John appointed
    director
  31. 2008-04-02
    ➕
    CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-director
  32. 2008-04-02
    ➖
    CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-director

Owner dependency

91/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 84 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

89/100
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 84 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 18 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

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Sam Spencer Wilcox
Individual · British · DOB 03/1976 · age 50
50–75%
50–75%board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control03/02/2020
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Ian Robert Hendyceased 03/02/2020· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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

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
Incorporated2008-04-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47640 — SIC 47640

Registered office

17-19 West Street
Norham
Berwick On Tweed
Northumberland
TD15 2LB

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-24
Last: 2025-11-10

Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)

WILCOX, Barry→
director · ~84y · appointed 2008-04-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WILCOX, Sam Spencer→
director · ~50y · appointed 2008-04-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HENDY, Ian Robert→
secretary · appointed 2008-04-02 · resigned 2020-02-19
Resigned
SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2008-04-02 · resigned 2008-04-02
Resigned
BARKER, Stephen Alan→
director · ~62y · appointed 2008-04-02 · resigned 2008-11-09
Resigned
HENDY, Ian Robert→
director · ~60y · appointed 2008-04-02 · resigned 2020-02-19
Resigned
WILCOX, Victoria Heather→
director · ~76y · appointed 2008-04-02 · resigned 2013-04-05
Resigned
WINTER, Keith John→
director · ~67y · appointed 2008-04-02 · resigned 2024-09-27
Resigned
CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 2008-04-02 · resigned 2008-04-02
Resigned

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

Recent filings (63 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-04-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-10-10
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-09-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-09-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-10-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-06-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-04-16
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2020-03-10