Raising the ground level for a new lawn area
By Anfieldjet
Cheshire,
United Kingdom 
There is a path running across my lawn. The path is at a lower level than the lawn and it is also in a bad state of repair. I would like to remove the path and fill in the resulting trench with soil to bring the ground up to the level of the lawn - I would then seed or turf over the soil. Question is, do I need to do anything apart from pile the soil in and let it settle into place? Add sand? Organic matter?
8 Jun, 2017
Answers
Thanks Bamboo. The level is not so different. The path is maybe 8 inches below the turf level, so it will not take too much top soil adding to get a reasonable level. As you advised, letting it settle and then perhaps damping it down to firm it up before the very top layer is added may be a sensible way forwards.
11 Jun, 2017
Depending how deep the path and any foundations are, some good topsoil should be enough, if you want to seed or turf pretty quickly. Otherwise, you can add some humus rich organic material and dig it over, let it settle for a week or two, then add topsoil to the right level. You'll need a lower level of soil to accommodate turf than you will if you seed. I wouldn't recommend sand
8 Jun, 2017