How to find out who owns the land

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Tommyd345

Nomad
Feb 2, 2015
369
4
Norfolk
As it says on the tin, I was wondering if there is a place on the grand interweb to find out who owns the land around where I live? I really want to get out and about but don't know HOW to go about it, short of asking randomly in the pub!
Thanks
 

nigeltm

Full Member
Aug 8, 2008
484
16
55
south Wales
Land Registry (Registers of Scotland North of the boarder) will have some records. You would be surprised how out of date they can be, that's assuming they have records to start with. There are large gaps in their info. Local sources are often useful. Other landowners, parish records and the like.

Good luck.
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
As Nigel says asking around is often the best way, especially in a rural setting where land and family connections can become quite convoluted. Ask in a local shop, post office, village council.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
 

Bishop

Full Member
Jan 25, 2014
1,717
691
Pencader
There's no real substitute for getting out there and wandering the public paths and bridleways for at some point these will take you through farmyards and with luck some interesting conversations. Websites such as Geograph along with the Bing and Google map services that have access to OS maps and aerial photo's may also be useful for planning where to start wandering. Very often you can figure out what farm a particular field belongs to just by looking at the field tracks in this manner.
 

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,200
1,826
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
All the land round where I live is owned by the Church Commisioners, but I've never seen the vicar out ploughing. Sadly, many farms are owned by absentee landlords. It is probably more important to find out who manages the land and this may not be so easy and Land Registry will not help. On the few occasions when I've been challenged, it has usually been by a tenant or gamekeeper. Local knowledge and asking around is the best way, but usually not easy when in unfamiliar territory.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,961
Mercia
Knock on the farm door and ask. If they are tenants they can probably give permission to camp. If not, they know who the owner is and what they own.

First of course, ask what you are offering in return.
 

boatman

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
2,444
4
78
Cornwall
And there was me thinking it was so easy to find who owned the land, farmed the land. At least that is what we keep being told.
 

backpacker

Forager
Sep 3, 2010
157
1
68
Eastbourne, East Sussex
As it says on the tin, I was wondering if there is a place on the grand interweb to find out who owns the land around where I live? I really want to get out and about but don't know HOW to go about it, short of asking randomly in the pub!
Thanks

Land Registry Records should be able to help you or even Local Council should be able to point you in the right direction.......
 

didicoy

Full Member
Mar 7, 2013
541
12
fens
Tag along with an old boy walking his dog in the location your interested in. Stop and have a natter, in the local pub.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Am I wrong in thinking that whatever agency is responsible for collecting property taxes probably has a good idea of the actual owner? That said, it sounds like the OP's really more interested in who has control of giving permissions, such as an active tenant or manager.
 
Last edited:

potboiler

Full Member
Jan 20, 2009
192
0
Dorset
Am I wrong in thinking that whatever agency is responsible for collecting property taxes probably has a good idea of the actual owner? That said, it sounds like the OP's really more interested in who has control of giving permissions, such as an active tenant or manager.
No, not wrong, but they won't share the information, whereas Land Registry will (on payment of a fee.)

However, as others have said, a chat on the doorstep works really well. You may even get pointed to a better site than the one you first asked about.
 

boatman

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
2,444
4
78
Cornwall
We don't have land taxes in the UK so no records for them for this purpose. Houses are taxed, Council Tax. According to Wiki 18% of land in England and Wales was unregistered in 2013. Our house and curtilage was unregistered until about 2006 in Wiltshire.
 

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