If there’s some seemingly disused land, how would I go about find out who owns it?
Land registry I presume, but does it cost anything to ask?

Land Registry is the only definitive way to find out, you can either use the web to order the registered title or go to the local office which is generally easiest. Cost approx. £7 for title and plan depending on size of the plan associated with the title.

Ride a bike across said land. Whoever shouts ‘oi, get orf moi laand’ probably is, or knows, the owner.

😆 @ wordnumb

Drive a white flat-bed transit, towing a caravan onto it. Then get out, have a poo, and dump a pile of pallets and builders rubble.

You’ll know soon enough 😉

beaten to it by binners!

Alternatively, to save the cost of a van and caravan/palettes etc, simply leave the gate open and come back the next morning to find some warmly spirited people have already taken care of it for you.

Search the index Map (SIM). Land Registry office or online…

http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/faqs/how-do-i-find-out-if-a-property-or-piece-of-land-is-registered/the-land-andor-property-cannot-be-easily-identified-by-a-postal-address

Of course no one might own it. Put up a fence and make it yours, if no one bothers you in 10* years it’s yours.

* or 30 or 50 depending…

Torch a sofa on it.

That’ll get the owner’s attention.