We bought our house three years ago and were told by the seller that the strip of land opposite belonged to the property. We found it was not on the deeds but the sellers maintained it for over 40 years and put large stones around it painted white. How do we prove ownership if anyone ever asks? We do have an aerial photo dated 1997.
You don’t currently own the strip. The question is: does anybody else? You could apply to the Land Registry to search the index map to see if the land is currently registered. If it is registered you may be advised to leave well alone, since the owner could evict you. If the land isn’t registered then testimony from the previous owners and your photo could convince the Land Registry that you now own the strip through adverse possession.