Question Author
All makes more sense now. Thank you all so much for your replies.
As far as I see it, and this is where the problem lies, there is reference to agreement in 19dot between factory who now do not exist, and previous owner of this house. Now I can understand that agreement passing between subsequent owners of properties. What I was really trying to get to was given the timescale involved, firstly could I claim it as mine, and perhaps a more valid question is ; if the current owners decided to remove their fence of 25 years or so, would I and 9 other tenants be able to stop them ? I cannot see they could gain anything from the land by doing so.
The main reason for all this exploratory questioning is I am trying to buy the land immediately behind next two houses, with a view to car storage in a wooden garage, and it would be nice if I could build bigger.
The idea of bunging them a few quid sounds good, but I want to know legal position first before trying to haggle.
If I already have a legal right to it, I'm not going to throw money away.
Thanks once again.
Grump