Whether you’re buying a property, planning an extension, installing a new fence, or dealing with a neighbour who may have encroached on your land, knowing exactly where your boundaries lie is essential. Getting it wrong can lead to costly disputes, delayed transactions, and even legal proceedings.

If you’ve ever asked yourself “how do I find my land boundaries?” — you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common property questions in England and Wales, and the answer isn’t always as straightforward as people expect.

This guide walks through every resource available to help you find your land boundaries accurately, explains what those resources actually tell you (and what they don’t), and covers the common myths that catch property owners out.

1. Title Deeds & Land Registry Records

Your title deeds are the natural starting point when trying to find your land boundaries. These legal documents record the history of your property’s ownership and often include descriptions or plans that reference the boundaries of the land being conveyed.

There are some important distinctions to be aware of:

Registered Properties

If your property is registered with HM Land Registry, the original deeds will have been lodged at the time of first registration. The Land Registry then creates a title register (a written record of ownership, rights, and restrictions) and a title plan (a map showing the property’s extent). These two documents together replace the practical need for the original deeds in most cases.

You can obtain a copy of your title register and title plan from HM Land Registry for £3 each through their online search service. You’ll need either the property address or the title number.

Unregistered Properties

Approximately 14% of land in England and Wales remains unregistered. If your property falls into this category, the original deeds are your primary source of boundary information. These may be held by your mortgage lender, your solicitor, or in your own possession. Unregistered deeds can contain detailed boundary descriptions, measurements, and plans that are often more specific than what the Land Registry provides for registered land.

2. Land Registry Title Plans

The title plan is the most commonly used document for identifying land boundaries. It’s an official document produced by HM Land Registry that shows the approximate extent of a registered property, plotted on Ordnance Survey mapping.

The property is typically outlined with a red edging, and additional colours may be used to identify specific areas referenced in the title register — for example, land subject to rights of way or restrictive covenants.

However, understanding what a title plan does and doesn’t tell you is crucial:

• The red edging shows the general boundary of your property — not the precise legal boundary
• Title plans are based on Ordnance Survey mapping, which shows physical features (walls, fences, hedges) at the time of survey — these may have changed since
• The thickness of the red line on a title plan can represent several feet on the ground, so it should never be used to measure exact boundary positions

• Title plans do not show who owns individual boundary features such as fences, walls, or hedges
• Title plans do not define precise legal boundaries unless a determined boundary has been registered
• The Ordnance Survey mapping on a title plan is topographic, not legal — it shows what’s physically on the ground, not where property rights begin and end

Despite these limitations, the title plan remains an essential starting point. It gives you a clear visual indication of your property’s extent and is accepted as evidence in property transactions across England and Wales.

If you need a new plan prepared for a property transaction — for example, when transferring part of your land or registering a new title — the plan must comply with Practice Guide 40, HM Land Registry’s technical requirements for plans.

3. Deed Plans & Boundary Agreements

For a more detailed picture of your land boundaries, historical deed plans are often invaluable. These are the plans attached to the original conveyance or transfer deeds when the property was first sold. Unlike title plans, deed plans may include:

• Specific measurements along boundary lines
• References to physical boundary markers (posts, walls, ditches)
• T marks indicating boundary ownership or maintenance responsibility
• Coloured areas identifying gardens, driveways, or shared spaces

If you can locate the original deed plan for your property, compare it carefully against the current physical features on the ground and the Land Registry title plan. Discrepancies between the three are more common than you might expect — fences get moved, hedges grow, and boundary features are replaced in slightly different positions over time.

Boundary Agreements

Where there’s genuine uncertainty about the position of a boundary, neighbouring property owners can enter into a boundary agreement. This is a formal written agreement that records where both parties accept the boundary to be, and it can be noted on the title register at HM Land Registry.

A boundary agreement is a practical solution that avoids the cost and complexity of a formal dispute. It’s particularly useful where physical features have shifted over the years and both neighbours are willing to agree a sensible line.

4. Determined Boundary Applications

If you need to establish the exact legal position of a boundary — rather than relying on the general boundary shown on the title plan — you can apply to HM Land Registry for a determined boundary.

This is a formal process under Section 60 of the Land Registration Act 2002 and requires:

• A detailed plan prepared by a qualified surveyor, showing the exact boundary line
• Supporting evidence such as historical deed plans, conveyance descriptions, and surveyor’s reports
• Payment of the Land Registry application fee

Once the application is submitted, HM Land Registry will notify the adjoining landowner, who has 20 working days to object. If no objection is received, the boundary is formally determined and recorded on both title plans.

Determined boundary applications are relatively uncommon — most property owners manage with the general boundary system. But where a boundary dispute has escalated, or where you need absolute certainty for a development or planning application, it can be the right course of action.

5. Professional Land Surveyors

If you need precise measurements of your boundary positions — rather than the approximate indication provided by the title plan — a chartered land surveyor (RICS-accredited) is the most reliable option.

A professional surveyor will:

• Use specialist equipment (total stations, GPS, and laser measuring devices) to plot exact boundary positions
• Compare current physical features with historical deed plans and Ordnance Survey data
• Prepare a boundary survey report that can be used as evidence in legal proceedings
• Identify any encroachments — where a neighbour’s structure or fence crosses the boundary line

A land surveyor’s report carries significant weight in boundary disputes and property tribunal hearings. While Land Registry documents provide general guidance, a surveyor can tell you exactly where the boundary falls on the ground — which is what matters when a dispute reaches a legal conclusion.

It’s worth noting that a surveyor measures physical positions and interprets legal documents. They don’t make legal decisions about where the boundary should be — that’s ultimately a matter for the courts if the parties can’t agree.

6. Local Authority Records

For properties that border public roads, footpaths, bridleways, or common land, your local council may hold additional records that help clarify boundary positions.

The highways department can confirm:

• The extent of the adopted highway — the land maintained at public expense, which often extends beyond the visible road surface
• Whether a wall, fence, or hedge sits on highway land
• Any highway boundary agreements or stopping-up orders that affect the property

The planning department may also hold site plans and boundary information from previous planning applications on your property or neighbouring properties. These can be useful reference points, particularly for developments where detailed boundary surveys were submitted as part of the application.

Local authority searches carried out during the conveyancing process can also flag boundary-related issues — for example, if part of your garden falls within a registered common or village green.

7. Understanding Boundary Features

One of the most common misunderstandings about land boundaries is that physical features define the boundary. In reality, physical features such as fences, walls, hedges, and ditches are evidence of where the boundary might be — but they are not the boundary itself.

The legal boundary is an invisible line. Physical features may sit on the boundary, on one side of it, or even straddle it. Over time, features get replaced, repositioned, or removed entirely. A fence erected in a slightly different position after storm damage doesn’t move the legal boundary — it just means the fence no longer sits exactly where the boundary is.

The Hedge and Ditch Rule

There is a long-standing presumption in English law that where a hedge sits on a bank alongside a ditch, the boundary runs along the far edge of the ditch (the side furthest from the hedge). This is based on the historical practice of digging a ditch on the edge of your land and throwing the soil onto your own side to form a bank, on which you would then plant a hedge.

This presumption can be rebutted by evidence to the contrary, but it remains relevant in rural boundary disputes where the original boundary features have been in place for generations.

8. Common Boundary Myths

Several persistent myths about property boundaries catch people out. Understanding what’s legally accurate — and what isn’t — can save you time, money, and unnecessary arguments with neighbours.

• “You’re responsible for the left-hand boundary” — There is no legal basis for this. Some deeds do specify boundary maintenance responsibilities, but the idea that every owner is responsible for the left (or right) boundary when facing the property from the road is simply a myth.
• “The fence posts face the owner’s side” — Again, no legal foundation. While it’s conventional practice to erect a fence with the posts and rails on the owner’s side and the flat boards facing outward, this is a preference — not a legal rule. You cannot determine ownership from how a fence is constructed.
• “T marks always show who owns the boundary” — T marks on a deed plan indicate boundary ownership or maintenance responsibility only if they are specifically referenced in the text of the deed. If the deed doesn’t mention them, they have no legal weight. For more on this, see our guide to T and H marks on title plans.
• “The Land Registry will tell me my exact boundary” — Under the general boundary rule (Section 60, Land Registration Act 2002), the Land Registry does not guarantee exact boundary positions. The red edging on a title plan is deliberately approximate.

9. What To Do Next

If you need to find your land boundaries, here’s a practical step-by-step approach:

1. Obtain your title plan and title register from HM Land Registry (£3 each via the online search service). This gives you the general extent of your property and any boundary-related entries on the register.
2. Locate the original deed plans if possible. Check with your solicitor, mortgage lender, or personal records. These often contain more boundary detail than the title plan.
3. Walk the physical boundary and compare it against the title plan and deed plan. Note any discrepancies — fences in different positions, missing boundary markers, or structures that appear to cross the boundary line.
4. Check for T marks or boundary covenants in your title register and deeds. These may clarify ownership or maintenance responsibilities for specific boundaries.
5. Instruct a professional if the boundaries are unclear or disputed. A chartered surveyor can measure exact positions, and a Land Registry plan specialist can prepare compliant plans for any applications or transactions.

Need Help With Your Land Boundaries?

At Towers Richardson, we’ve been preparing Land Registry-compliant plans since 1994 with a 100% acceptance rate. Whether you need a plan for a property transaction, a boundary clarification, or a Land Registry application, we can help.

Our services include:

• Title Plans — for property sales, purchases, and first registrations
• Lease Plans — for lease registrations and renewals
• Transfer Plans — for transferring part of a title or gifting land
• Developer & Infrastructure Plans — for housing developments and infrastructure projects

Every plan is prepared using licensed Ordnance Survey data and checked against Practice Guide 40 requirements before delivery. We offer 24-hour turnaround as standard and work with solicitors, estate agents, developers, and homeowners across England and Wales.

Get in touch today:

📧 info@towers-richardson.co.uk
📞 01226 885040
💬 WhatsApp: 07543 434048

Or request a free quote online — we respond within 1 hour during business hours.

Frequently Asked Questions