Reading a Land Registry Title Plan

What a title plan shows, what it doesn't, and how to read one with confidence.

A Land Registry title plan is a simple map that shows the general extent of a registered property. It sits alongside the written title register and helps you see roughly where the land is and how it relates to its surroundings. It is an important document, but it is not a detailed survey drawing and it does not fix the exact legal boundary line.

What is a title plan for?

The title plan has one main purpose: to show the land included in a particular registered title in a clear, easy‑to‑understand way. It helps:

  • buyers and owners see what land is being bought or owned;
  • lenders understand what land is being used as security for a mortgage; and
  • neighbours and professionals see the general layout of plots and access routes.

It is a visual guide to go with the written title register, not a replacement for it. The written register still contains key information about rights, covenants and restrictions that may not be obvious from the plan alone.

The red edging – what it shows

On most title plans, the property you are interested in is outlined in red. This red edging shows the general boundaries of the property as recorded by the Land Registry. In practice, that means:

  • the red line shows the general position and shape of the land; and
  • it is not a precise line that can be measured on the ground to the centimetre.

The red edging normally follows features on the base map such as fences, walls, hedges, roads and paths. Because of how the mapping is produced, the red line may sit slightly inside or outside a feature rather than exactly along it. That is expected and does not, by itself, prove that a fence or wall is in the “wrong” place.

The Ordnance Survey base map

Title plans are drawn over an Ordnance Survey (OS) base map. The OS map provides the background detail: roads, buildings, boundaries, paths and other features. The Land Registry then adds the red edging and any coloured markings on top.

Because the title plan relies on the OS map:

  • not every small feature will appear (for example, some low walls or thin hedges may be omitted);
  • the position and thickness of lines are limited by the scale of the map; and
  • there can be small differences between what you see on the ground and what is shown on the plan.

This is another reason why the plan is best seen as an overall guide to the property, not a millimetre‑accurate record of every boundary feature.

Understanding scale: 1:1250 and 1:2500

At the bottom or corner of the title plan you will see a scale, usually1:1250 (for urban and suburban areas) or 1:2500 (for more rural areas). The scale tells you how the plan size relates to real life:

  • at 1:1250, 1cm on the plan represents 12.5m on the ground; and
  • at 1:2500, 1cm on the plan represents 25m on the ground.

These are relatively small scales. This means that a boundary line on the plan has to be drawn with a certain thickness to be visible at all, and that thickness represents a significant distance on the ground. You cannot reliably use a ruler on the plan to work out, for example, whether a fence is 10cm one side or the other of a legal boundary.

Title number, north arrow and other features

Every registered title has a unique title number. This number will appear on the title plan and on the written title register. It acts like an account number for your property within the Land Registry system.

You will also see a north arrow showing which way is north on the plan. This helps you line up the plan with what you see on the ground or on other maps. Sometimes there will be a small inset map if your property is in more than one separate area or if an overview is needed to show its location.

Coloured markings, T marks, H marks and hatching

As well as the red edging, title plans sometimes include other coloured lines, shapes, letters or symbols. These usually relate to specific entries in the written title register. Common examples include:

  • T marks – small “T” symbols drawn along a boundary. These are often used in old deeds to suggest which owner is responsible for a boundary feature such as a fence or wall. If T marks appear on your title plan, check the title register or any referenced document to see what they mean in your case.
  • H marks – two back‑to‑back T marks, sometimes used to suggest a boundary feature is shared between neighbours (for example, a shared fence). As with T marks, you should look for wording in the deeds or register that explains the effect.
  • Coloured hatching or shading – areas or lines shaded or hatched in a particular colour (for example, blue, brown or green). These usually tie to a note in the register, such as a right of way, land included in a transfer, land subject to a covenant, or land excluded from the title.

The key is that colours and symbols do not explain themselves. They are there to point you to specific wording in the title register or in a deed that is referred to in the register. Always read the written entries alongside the plan.

Putting it all together

To read your title plan confidently, start by finding the red‑edged area, note the title number, check the north arrow and scale, and then look for any extra colouring or symbols. Use those markings as signposts back to the written title register and any referenced deeds.

Remember that the plan shows the general extent of your land using an Ordnance Survey base map at a small scale. It is a helpful guide, but it is not an exact boundary survey. For everyday purposes it is usually enough, but where a precise boundary line or the meaning of a coloured marking really matters, it is sensible to take legal advice or speak to a specialist surveyor.