CAVE DIRECT LTD.
📉Decliningactive
06738514 · ltd · incorporated 2008-10-31
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.
Opportunity decay
drifting distress · 6-months
Drifting toward distress — expect more negotiability in 3–6 months, but also more friction.
- · Lifecycle stage drifting downward
- · Currently "declining"
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
£22.69M
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46170
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueConservative operator with a 69-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 69). 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: strategic trade sale (78/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
6 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 15.3y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 15.3 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: high (82/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
3 officers (3 active, 3 linked, 3 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 5 total, 5 with control declared
90
Director network
8 connected companies via shared directors
69
Filing history
67 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
🔒Estimated company valuation
Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Profitable
Profit before tax £203,500
Turnover YoY
+4%
Year on year
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 · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £22.69M | £21.82M |
| Gross profit | £5.49M | £5.33M |
| Operating profit | £271.0k | £416.5k |
| Profit before tax | £203.5k | £312.4k |
| Average employees | 6800 | 6800 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
3 signals 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 (35 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2025-01-02📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-01-02📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-01-02📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-01-02📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-01-02🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2024-12-02📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2024-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-03-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-03-27🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2024-03-27🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2024-02-29📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-02-29🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Cynergy Business Finance Limited
- 2023-10-07📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-10-07📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-10-07📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2023-10-02📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2023-10-02📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-10-02📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-12📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2022-08-23📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-08-12🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Aib Group (UK) P.L.C.
- 2022-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-28🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Aib Group (UK) PLC T/a Allied Irish Bank (GB)
- 2019-08-28🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2018-09-21🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Aib Group (UK) P.L.C.
- 2018-08-23🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2015-12-23➕KITCHING, Neil Robert appointeddirector
- 2011-05-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2011-04-14🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Venture Finance PLC
- 2008-10-31🏢Company incorporatedAs CAVE DIRECT LTD.
- 2008-10-31➕GILHESPY, Colin appointeddirector
- 2008-10-31➕SMALE, Louise appointeddirector
Owner dependency
75/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
73/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 69. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- 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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Colin Gilhespy Individual · British · DOB 05/1961 · age 65 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 30/10/2024 |
Ms Louise Smale Individual · British · DOB 02/1957 · age 69 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 30/10/2024 |
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Cave Direct Holdings Limitedceased 30/10/2024· 75-100% voting · board control
- Ms Louise Smaleceased 29/09/2023· 50-75% shares
- Mr Colin Gilhespyceased 29/09/2023· 50-75% shares
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 · Wholesale & distribution · ME postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLANC TEXTILES AGENCY LTD→ 15777300 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BOSWELL WHOLESALE LIMITED→ 16173222 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BOUNDARY FENCING & TIMBER SUPPLIES UK LIMITED→ 12866087 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BRINVENT COMPANY LTD→ 11331323 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BURNHAM-LEEDS TRADERS LTD→ 16436276 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BUSAD ENTERPRISES LTD→ 15389620 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BUSINESS UTILITY OVERHAUL LTD→ 15495911 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BUTLERS (CATERHAM) KENT LTD→ 15586442 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CARPET GIANT LONDON LIMITED→ 05722421 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| CARPETS 4 ALL LIMITED→ 05033343 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| CATER CAPER LTD→ 16453848 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CAVE DIRECT NORTH LTD.→ 09337592 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
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 →🔒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
Incorporated2008-10-31
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46170 — SIC 46170
Registered office
Unit B10 Larkfield Trading Estate
New Hythe Lane
Larkfield
Kent
ME20 6SW
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-14
Last: 2025-10-31
Officers (3 active · 0 resigned)
GILHESPY, Colin→
Activedirector · ~65y · appointed 2008-10-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
KITCHING, Neil Robert→
Activedirector · ~42y · appointed 2015-12-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SMALE, Louise→
Activedirector · ~69y · appointed 2008-10-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
6
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Cynergy Business Finance Cynergy Business Finance Limited | A registered charge | 6 properties | 29/02/2024 | — | |
| satisfied | Aib Group (UK) P.L.C. | A registered charge | 1 property | 12/08/2022 | 02/01/2025 | |
| satisfied | Aib Group (UK) T/a Allied Irish Bank (GB) Aib Group (UK) PLC T/a Allied Irish Bank (GB) | A registered charge | — | 28/08/2019 | 27/03/2024 | |
| satisfied | Aib Group (UK) P.L.C. | A registered charge | — | 21/09/2018 | 27/03/2024 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 05/05/2011 | 23/08/2018 | |
| satisfied | Venture Finance Venture Finance PLC | All assets debenture | 1 property | 14/04/2011 | 28/08/2019 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (67 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-medium
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-02
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-01-02
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-01-02
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-01-02
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-01-02
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2024-12-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-medium
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-03-27
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-03-27
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-02-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-20
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2023-10-07
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2023-10-07