Hampshire Trust Bank
A PRA-authorised UK specialist challenger bank whose lending is now concentrated in property — development finance, specialist (largely buy-to-let) mortgages and bridging — alongside a wholesale book that funds other lenders.
What they do
Hampshire Trust Bank is a deposit-funded specialist bank lending to UK businesses and property professionals, principally through intermediaries. Its core books are Specialist Mortgages (specialist buy-to-let and semi-commercial, the largest at roughly £2.4bn of loans), Development Finance (residential and commercial development, typically £1m–£15m facilities), Short-Term/Bridging lending, and Wholesale Finance (block discounting and funding lines to other specialist lenders). In October 2024 it closed its direct Asset Finance division (hire purchase, leasing, vehicle and structured asset finance) to new business, citing regulatory-capital allocation, and now supports asset-finance borrowers only indirectly via wholesale funding to other lenders.
Where they fit in a lower-mid-market raise
For a 3–15m raise, HTB is a credible counterparty on property alone. Its development finance line falls within the lower-mid-market band and suits SME developers and property investors who need a relationship-led, real-estate-secured facility. Its specialist mortgages serve portfolio landlords and investors on residential and semi-commercial assets. It is best approached through a broker, and works well for borrowers whose financing need is collateralised against UK property rather than against trading cash flow.
Where they are not the fit
HTB is not a fit for a general corporate or sponsor-backed cash-flow raise — it does not provide unitranche, senior term debt against EBITDA, or growth/acquisition leverage for trading businesses. Since the October 2024 closure of its Asset Finance division, it no longer writes direct equipment, vehicle or structured asset finance to end-borrowers; an SME seeking asset finance should look elsewhere (or to one of the lenders HTB funds wholesale). Where the security is operating cash flow rather than real estate, HTB is not the lender.
On the record
Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and PRA; Firm Reference Number 204601.
Registered in England and Wales, company number 01311315; registered office 80 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY.
In 2024 Group profit after tax rose 21.6% to £51.7m and loans and advances to customers reached £3,392.2m.
The Development Finance book grew to £364.8m (2023: £271.1m) and Wholesale Finance to £347.6m (2023: £291.4m) in 2024; Specialist Mortgages is the largest book at roughly £2.4bn.
Development finance facilities are typically described as ranging between £1m and £15m, on a relationship-based model for SME developers and brokers.
HTB closed its Asset Finance division to new business in October 2024, citing limited surplus regulatory capital; the Asset Finance book ran off to £327.4m (2023: £384.0m). It continues to support asset-finance lenders via wholesale/block discounting.
HTB operates as a specialist bank offering specialist mortgages, development finance, bridging, wholesale finance and savings, distributing largely through intermediaries.
This profile is a curated reference note drawn from public sources, not financial advice or a recommendation. Appetite and terms change; a lender's fit for a given credit is established by approaching it, not inferred from a page.