Nearly 50% of land in Cumbria unregistered

More than 123,000 acres has been registered with the Land Registry in the past year after a drive to encourage landowners to identify what they own – but much remains unclaimed.

Nearly 35% of England and Wales remains unregistered. In Cumbria just over 50% of land has now been registered, more than 900,000 acres in total.

Harry Charlton, register development manager for Cumbria, said: "We have seen an increase in the amount of land registered in Cumbria. We're delighted so many have recognised the value of registration and would welcome inquiries from as many landowners as possible.

"We have a straightforward and cost-effective system for checking and registering who owns what and we're currently offering a 25% discount on the costs for those who voluntarily register their land."

State-backed registration gives landowners greater security of title, providing them with better protection against claims of adverse possession. Landowners also know the administration of their land holding is in good order with key information in one place and easy to access.