MARSTON BOOK SERVICES LIMITED
Company number 01186721 · Monitor this company
Executive summary
Marston Book Services Limited represents a clear case of structural failure within the UK publishing distribution sector. Operating at sub-scale revenue levels of approximately £5.9m — a fraction of leading competitors — the company has suffered catastrophic equity erosion from £1.0m positive net assets in 2019 to negative £7.3m by 2022, driven by sustained operating losses and a significant intercompany debt provision. The company's entry into administration reflects both its own unsustainable cost structure and the broader sector challenges of digital disruption, publisher consolidation, and Amazon's dominance, which have rendered traditional academic book fulfilment models increasingly unviable for smaller operators.
Shareholders' funds
-£7,530,956
Balance sheet as at 2022-12-30
Overview
- Company type
- Private Limited Company
- Incorporated
- 1974-10-10
- Registered office
- 5th Floor Grove House 248a Marylebone Road, London, NW1 6BB
- Postcode
- NW1 6BB
- Capital
- 250,000 GBP
- Accounts category
- Full
- Charges
- 3 outstanding
Accounts
- Last made up to
- 2022-12-30
- Next due by
- 2024-09-30
- Financial year end
- 30 December
Confirmation statement
- Last statement dated
- 2023-12-23
- Next due by
- 2025-01-06
Nature of business (SIC)
- 46180 Agents specialized in the sale of other particular products
Officers 3 current · 16 resigned
Group structure 1 subsidiary
Controlled by UNITED INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTORS LTD — since 2023-04-28
Controlled by VIOLIA MEDIA SERVICES LIMITED — since 2016-04-06
-
ORCA BOOK SERVICES LIMITED In Administration
From persons-with-significant-control filings on the public register.
Contact details
- Website
- marston.co.uk
Previous company names
| Name | Date changed |
|---|---|
| BASIL BLACKWELL (STORAGE) LIMITED | 1977-12-31 |
Previous registered addresses 2
| Address | Changed on |
|---|---|
| 160 MILTON PARK, ABINGDON, OXFORDSHIRE, OX14 4SD | 2013-01-17 |
| 108 COWLEY ROAD, OXFORD OX4 1JF | 1995-11-10 |
The class of 1974
54%
of the 5,336 companies incorporated in 1974 are still active today; 39% have since been dissolved.
A fact about the year, not a forecast for this company.
Property in England & Wales 1 title
- Leasehold
- 1
- Most recent registration
- 2022-04-08
- Where
- Oxfordshire
| Title number | County | Tenure | Registered | Price paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ON372199 | Oxfordshire | Leasehold | 2022-04-08 | — |
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 2026-08.