Tracing freeholder

I am executor of will. How do I find out who owns the freehold of a property?  The name on the lease of 999 years has also died

Susan - if the freehold isn't registered then the detective work starts with the name of the person who granted the lease. After that it's probably a case of researching their death and next of kin/probate etc; using a professional tracing firm; social media in the area they lived perhaps and anything else you can think of. There's no guaranteed route if the freehold is unregistered

Thank you for prompt reply.  My cousin emailed Land Registry and paid a fee about 2 weeks ago but has not had reply, despite emailing again last week. Would they tell him if it was registered? Do you know how long replies are taking at present?  Many thanks 

Susan - you can search online or by post for registered information. The postal search (form SIM) confirms if it is unregistered or not.
We don't normally provide specific information via email as the online/postal services are there for such details
Replies are generally between 5-7 working days but much depends on the options chosen when submitting the enquiries