Hi Rozalia and welcome to GoY, if you want grass I think you are going to have to put in drainage as a starting point as if the area is wet and shady the grass will not thrive. Heron or Bamboo can advise you on that. The alternative would be to go for a bog garden with plants that like wet and shady conditions. If you decide to go that route let us know as we can advise you on plants.

Welcome to Goy Rosalia. This sounds an interesting problem. I am presuming the dyke is a drainage system? Is the dyke working yet? And if so has that improved the wetness? Some pics might help too?

It sounds as if you need a serious drainage system installed, Rozalia, with underground drainage pipes leading the water away to the mill ponds. You would probably be as well to get adise from a local engineer on this. It will have to be properly drained for the grass to thrive and for you to be able to get a mower onto the ground.

These pipes could be in or added to the dyke? Bulbaholic thats why I was asking about the dyke it sounds as if this might have originally served the ponds?

Drc726, I think you have mis-read it, it is an old dye works, not a dyke. Easily done.

OH daft me thanks Mad.

I agree with Moongrower and Bulbaholic - if you want lawn grass, drainage works look to be essential. There are specialists who carry out that kind of work - the other thing I'm curious about is contamination, as it was a dye works - I assume this must have been tested for?

I am shore that you will get good advice on the drainage, but and you can check this out with the enginer, there is a mith that you need a fall on the drainage pipes , you do not need any fall what so ever, and I have dun it profesionaly,but put the pipes on a bed of stones then if the pipe gets blocked it will drain past the obstruction through the stones. PS thre must be a feed for the mill ponds going in and comine out ,make shore that nither is blocked if they are all you need to do is clear them and the ground will dry it's self out.

Good point Cliffo to check the pond feeds aren't blocked

You can work in the woods and with the small branches make up faggots, dig trenches, put in the faggots, cover with the shale. Put a plastic sheet on top, fill with top soil, as already said, level or 1 inch in 40 ft. and the land will drain. As normal a herring bone pattern is the best even with a little fall in the ground. I have had experience when filling in old ditches on fields, an old slaughter house and a tannery. The ground as already said needs testing, but grass grows on the top inch.

nice one Doc I like the fagot idear very much.

Don't want to be a Jonah, but these sorts of industries did have bad habits when it came to disposing of waste, so before committing a lot of effort and expense, do have a careful look over the area for any signs of plants struggling to grow and either carry out soil tests or have it done for you by a professional.

Bernard, it is posable that there is not mutch to worrie about as in those they would be mostly vegatable dies' the problem might be though the tub they put outside and encoraged men to use?but there are people that think it is good for the commpost lol

A valid point Cliffo. At the slaughterhouse I mentioned the drains contained much of the blood which spread all over many fields.
To get back to the main point which Rozalia is asking, she needs to drain the wet areas and I would recommend a Rye mixture of grass seed, there is a wide range of choices. Soil tests can cost many hundreds of pounds.

...and maybe build a boardwalk so you can use the area even when it is waterlogged.

It may be worthwhile researching the history of the land before draining it into a watercourse. If it 'should' be contamninated with chemicals and these are then drained into the local river killing fish etc. then the Environment Agency are unlikely to have much sympathy. Is there any aquatic life in the two ponds? If so, then the land is probably OK.

Thanks everyone - having looked through your answers I think we need to dig some drainage ditches (and as my husband has every 'toy' his mini JCB will do the job). I like the idea of laying faggots at the bottom of the drainage ditch - as there are woods all around I'm not short of twigs and branches.
The mill ponds are full of newts and frogs and are separate from the old victorian dye works so there is no problem with contamination.
Its been a long DIY renovation (12+ years!) - when we finish the main works - hopefully by Easter 2010 I'll post some pictures.
Looking forward to being part of the Goy community.

Good luck Rozalia - remember to post those pix in the spring!