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BoundaryFinder

LiDAR Terrain Map

See the ground elevation, slopes and terrain features around any property in England using free Environment Agency LiDAR survey data — accurate to 1 metre resolution.

Elevation data is often overlooked in boundary disputes, but drainage ditches, embankments and hedgerow bases visible in LiDAR surveys are exactly the kind of historic feature that courts recognise as evidence of where a boundary has always stood. If the ground dips sharply along the line of your fence, you may be looking at the ditch that originally defined the field boundary — and that matters legally.

Elevation data is often overlooked in boundary disputes, but drainage ditches, embankments and hedgerow bases visible in LiDAR surveys are exactly the kind of historic feature that courts recognise as evidence of where a boundary has always stood. If the ground dips sharply along the line of your fence, you may be looking at the ditch that originally defined the field boundary — and that matters legally.

Spot ditches & embankments — features that often mark historic boundary lines
See slope direction — identify drainage paths and gradients across your boundary
1m resolution, England-wide — free EA data under Open Government Licence
Lower elevation / valleys | Higher elevation / ridges | No colour = no LiDAR survey coverage in this area
▲ LiDAR hillshade overlaid on OS map. Use the layer control (top-right) to toggle it on or off. The overlay loads after each pan or zoom. Flat areas (river floodplains, city centres) show little detail — try a hilly postcode to see dramatic terrain: EX16 8BN (Exmoor), LD3 7NP (Brecon Beacons), or HD9 2PH (Pennines).

What is LiDAR data and why does it matter for boundaries?

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses laser pulses fired from low-flying aircraft to measure the precise height of the ground surface to within 25 cm accuracy. The Environment Agency has surveyed most of England at 1 metre grid resolution, making it possible to see features like drainage ditches, embankments, hedgerow bases, and slope changes that are invisible on a regular map or satellite image.

For boundary disputes, LiDAR is particularly useful for spotting historic drainage ditches that commonly marked field boundaries, ridge-and-furrow earthworks from medieval strip-farming, and earthwork embankments from 18th-century enclosure schemes — all of which can support or challenge where a legal boundary sits.

How to read the hillshade map: The grey-tone hillshade shows terrain as if lit from the north-west. Lighter areas are higher ground or slopes facing the light; darker areas are valleys, pits, ditches, and north-facing slopes. A sharp dark line running across a field often indicates a ditch or embankment at the original field boundary.

Investigating a boundary dispute? Search for your property to get a full boundary report with GPS coordinates, OS map overlay and Land Registry title information. For the legal framework behind boundary ownership, see our fence ownership guide.

LiDAR data © Environment Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3. OS map tiles © Ordnance Survey. Licensed under OGL.