Thank you for your help.

There are several options you might consider depending on the size of your lawn - could you give some indication of how large it is ?

Hello Bonkersbon. Thank you for getting back to me. Apologies for the delay with getting back to you, i have had problems navigating the web site. Hope that you getthis response. My lawn is 13ft by 30ft. Kindest regards. Devinder

No worries Devinder but having been sat here for nearly a month was getting a bit tired lol

From your description the drainage does sound very poor and general advice is to spike lawn create drainage holes etc.If on a bed of clay this not likely to prove effective enough.

I work as a gardener and a customer with similar problems was insistent on wanting a lawn when probably best option would have been to create a low maintenance area with a gravel garden for example.

There wasnt a blade of grass in it and whole area was a moss carpet.I removed the turf by about eight inches laid a weed membrane then a ton of gravel a ton of topsoil and then re turfed.Grass only requires a few inches of soil to grow in and the gravel acts as an effective drainage system and the sheeting prevents dandelion and dock esp from re establishing.

A couple of years ago now and lawn nicely established.Its really the only way to address compacted clay as topsoil and turf alone would see the problem return and your original outlay would be wasted.

Costs to nearest yd. Turf 50 sq yds @£ 3 sq yd = £150

Topsoil £65 x 2 tons = £130

Gravel £45 x 2 tons =£90

Weed sheeting membrane £50

Wood edging boards and pegs £50

So no not cheap but as turf and topsoil would be your major outlay makes sense to address underlying drainage issue at the time.

This of course based on your desire to have a lawn you might consider a low maintenance option if you do please remember the turf will still require removal as it will become a boggy mess if left and covered.

Hello again,

Thank you for your advice Appreciate both the detail and the speed in which you were able to respond. Kindest regards. Devinder. (Will get the missus a new spade for her birthday)

You re welcome if she starts digging a trench 6 ft long and 3 ft wide guess the gift not gone down too well .. good luck.