Do you have fond memories of history lessons at school, and learning about castles and medieval villages and Lords of the Manor? Well some local people may not feel so well disposed to Lords of the Manor at the moment, particularly if they have received notification from the Land Registry that someone, such as the Cawdor Estate is claiming ancient manorial rights over their land. Such rights can include shooting or fishing rights or mineral rights, but not oil and gas as this belongs to the Crown, so claiming manorial rights is nothing to do with fracking.
Thousands of such letters have gone out across England and Wales in the last year principally because legislation dating from 2003 put a time limit on making claims for manorial rights, which had to be made by October 2013 or by the first time the property changed hands after that date. Dealing with such a claim is a legal matter, and anyone affected is advised to consult a solicitor or study the advice on the Land Registry website.
The bigger question is of course why such a medieval state of affairs is allowed to persist in the 21st century, and what we can do to abolish them. Together with other concerned MPs, I have raised the issue of manorial rights in Parliament, and I have written to the Justice Select Committee calling for an enquiry. A BBC Law in Action programme on manorial rights has been rescheduled from last week to 18th March.
I am holding a meeting on manorial rights this week at 6.30 pm on Friday 14th March in Pontyberem Memorial Hall.