CERVUS ELAPHUS LTD
💤Zombieactive
06915549 · ltd · incorporated 2009-05-26
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 Nov 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 99999
Sector: Extraterritorial bodies
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 70-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 70). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
50 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
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
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 · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-11-30 | 2023-11-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2025-08-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-25📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-10-25📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-02-29📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2023-09-20📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-09-20📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-09-20📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-09-20📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-09-20📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-09-20📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-08-08📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-05-21➕WATSON, Harriet Jane appointeddirector
- 2023-05-21➖WATSON, John resignedsecretary
- 2023-05-21➖WATSON, John Oldfield Stuart resigneddirector
- 2022-07-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2009-10-20➖ARKWRIGHT, Harriet Jane resigneddirector
- 2009-05-26🏢Company incorporatedAs CERVUS ELAPHUS LTD
- 2009-05-26➕WATSON, John appointedsecretary
- 2009-05-26➕ARKWRIGHT, Harriet Jane appointeddirector
- 2009-05-26➕WATSON, John Oldfield Stuart appointeddirector
Owner dependency
90/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
85/100
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.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 17 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
cleanNo 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 · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Harriet Jane Watson Individual · British · DOB 10/1956 · age 70 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 01/02/2017 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr John Oldfield Stuart Watsonceased 21/05/2023· 25-50% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Other · LD postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABOLISH LTD→ 12987773 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ADVANTAGE BLOW MOULDINGS LIMITED→ 13935914 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ANDERSON CONSULTING & RESEARCH LIMITED→ 04042563 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| BEACONS GLAZING LTD→ 07960942 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| BRECON BEACONS TOURISM→ 06933196 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| BRECON BUZZ CIC→ 13161362 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BUILDONMETA LTD→ 14175170 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| CALCH TY MAWR LIME LIMITED→ 07018675 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| CALEB ROBERTS FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED→ 01854288 · est 1984 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| CLEANSEAT UK LIMITED→ 13503358 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| CWRT Y PRIOR PARTNERS LLP→ OC407365 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| DART DATA SYSTEMS LTD→ 03009172 · est 1995 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 31y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2009-05-26
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC99999 — SIC 99999
Registered office
The Old Surgery
Spa Road
Llandrindod Wells
LD1 5EY
Wales
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-08-31
Last made up to: 2024-11-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-19
Last: 2026-04-05
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
WATSON, Harriet Jane→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2023-05-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WATSON, John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2009-05-26 · resigned 2023-05-21
ARKWRIGHT, Harriet Jane→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 2009-05-26 · resigned 2009-10-20
WATSON, John Oldfield Stuart→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 2009-05-26 · resigned 2023-05-21
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (50 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-08-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-09
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-10-25
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-10-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-08-31
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-21
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
accounts · AA01
2024-02-29
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-09-20
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-09-20
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-09-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-09-20
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-09-20
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-09-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-08