CHARLES RANSFORD & SON LIMITED
Company number 01185122 · Monitor this company
Executive summary
Charles Ransford & Son is a well-established, family-owned regional sawmill with an exceptionally strong balance sheet – net assets of £36M against minimal liabilities of £2.4M – that places it in the upper quartile of financial resilience within the UK sawmilling sector. However, three consecutive years of declining turnover (from £20.5M to £17.5M) amid normalising timber prices and a subdued construction market raise legitimate questions about whether this asset-rich business is generating adequate returns on its capital base, or whether significant revalued property is distorting the true operational picture. The company's fortress balance sheet provides substantial strategic optionality, but converting that financial strength into sustainable revenue growth will be the defining challenge in an increasingly competitive and consolidating sector.
Shareholders' funds
£36,049,286
Balance sheet as at 2024-12-31
What it does
The principal activity of the company is saw mill and timber manufacturer.
The company's own description, from its latest filed accounts.
Overview
- Company type
- Private Limited Company
- Incorporated
- 1974-09-25
- Employees
- 56 (2024 accounts)
- Registered office
- The Sawmill, Station Rd, Bishops Castle, Salop, SY9 5AQ
- Postcode
- SY9 5AQ
- Capital
- 240,000 GBP
- Accounts category
- Full
- Charges
- 4 outstanding
Accounts
- Last made up to
- 2024-12-31
- Next due by
- 2026-12-31
- Financial year end
- 31 December
Confirmation statement
- Last statement dated
- 2026-05-01
- Next due by
- 2027-05-15
Nature of business (SIC)
- 16100 Sawmilling and planing of wood
Officers 7 current · 7 resigned
Data protection registration
Registered with the ICO as a data protection fee payer — ZB049102 (Tier 2), registered since 2021.
Information Commissioner's Office register of fee payers, licensed under the Open Government Licence.
Among its peers
Top 25%
by shareholders' funds, of 9 similar companies in SY
The largest employer among its local peers (56 staff).
The oldest of its local peers, trading since 1974.
Competitors Shrewsbury
-
4. BLC LIMITED
This company ranks 1 among sawmilling and planing of wood in Shrewsbury.
The class of 1974
53%
of the 5,337 companies incorporated in 1974 are still active today; 40% have since been dissolved.
A fact about the year, not a forecast for this company.
Property in England & Wales 27 titles
- Freehold
- 24
- Leasehold
- 3
- Most recent registration
- 2025-09-26
- Price paid, where recorded
- £604,000
- Where
- Shropshire (18), Powys (4), Devon (2)
| Title number | County | Tenure | Registered | Price paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HE77399 | Herefordshire | Freehold | 2025-09-26 | — |
| CYM385086 | Powys | Freehold | 2025-05-01 | — |
| WA356574 | Powys | Freehold | 2025-05-01 | — |
| SL148593 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2024-05-13 | £460,000 |
| SL283964 | Shropshire | Leasehold | 2023-09-11 | — |
| SL273746 | Shropshire | Leasehold | 2021-11-04 | — |
| SL183736 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2020-03-03 | — |
| SL183737 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2020-03-03 | — |
| SL253537 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2020-03-03 | — |
| DN710230 | Devon | Freehold | 2019-02-25 | — |
| SL248257 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2017-09-04 | — |
| SL246223 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2017-05-17 | — |
| DN482517 | Devon | Freehold | 2016-02-01 | — |
| SL190885 | Shropshire | Leasehold | 2014-09-23 | — |
| SL138766 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2012-10-10 | — |
| SL152553 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2009-06-04 | — |
| SL80578 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2008-03-07 | — |
| SL186564 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2007-08-08 | — |
| SL186343 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2007-07-27 | — |
| SL183739 | Shropshire | Freehold | 2007-03-13 | — |
Showing 20 of 27.
For addresses and the authoritative register entry, use HM Land Registry's official search (£3 per title).
Information produced by HM Land Registry. © Crown copyright 2026. Dataset as at 2026-09.