The trials that come with new-build homes, Especially for Gardeners!

That's frustrating. I hope the tree makes a recovery for you.

perhaps it would be worth getting the water supply checked. if you ring your water company they should be able to see if your water meter is showing a steady leak?
explain that you think you have 'running' water.

You shouldn't have running water that far down. Check with your neighbours to see if they have a similar problem.

Ooh..now that’s a point SBG. Thank you.

That doesn't sound good Karen, shame about the tree but it has shown that you might have a problem, especially as you said you'd not had much rain, Eileen's suggestion is a good one, better to find out sooner than later....

OH says no as water pipes are under the front of the house, downhill from the back. We are at the bottom of the development. All the houses are uphill behind us, so it might just be ground water running downhill. We’ll see how it goes when we have a dry spell. It was so wet when we moved in and it was still raining when the landscapers started work, 2nd week of April. Remember, we moved in mid September, and between then and mid April we had 7 sunny days. Most of the rest it rained. The farmers around here are still saying they have never known rain like it. I really hope it’s not a water pipe…that would be terrible!

There might be an underground spring there. You need to find an aged local who might be able to tell you what was there before your house was built.
I remember watching an estate being built here where a storm brook ran and wondered if someone would wake up and find they had in indoor swimming pool!

Thanks Andrew. Luckily there is still a google map image of the land prior to development. It was unproductive farmland. Basically wildflower meadow. And at 235m above sea level, I doubt there would be an underground spring, but you never know. We definitely had one in our first garden and that was on a hillside.