is there anything you can plant that soaks up water

Not really - but some don't mind having their feet wet! Try Dogwoods - Cornus alba 'Sibirica' or 'Elegantissima' for example. These are grown for the colour of their winter stems - after their first year, you cut them back in early spring and then the new shoots grow back red or orange. There's also a green stemmed one called 'Flavimarea'.

Otherwise, why not turn the wet area into a bog garden and make use of the wet ground? There are lots of lovely colourful plants that enjoy these conditions! If you want a list, just ask. :-)

I have seen lots of nice bog plants at the garden centre, some are quite large, it may be worth looking at them as they thrive in boggy conditions.

if it is soemthing large try gunnera. or ther are lots of bog plants that will soak up the water.

I grow nice plants on my stream bank - Gunnera being one of them - Candleabra Primulas, Lobelia cardinalis, Ligularia, Lythrum salicaria, Mallow, and there are lots more if I had room!

Poplar and Willow trees will soak up a lot of water.. Populus Auruora goes gold in Summer and several Willows are quite attractive.

Certain willows and eucalypts were planted by the Israelis after '48 to successfully turn swamps in to the most productive farm land in the Middle East. But that's not on your scale.

I was very surprised that the use of land drains (flexible blue plastic pipe with loads of holes laid amongst 6-12mm gravel) proved fairly ineffective. In which case check to discover if your water table is unusually high.

Otherwise you might consider raised beds with stone bases or simply working with nature and dig up the area for a pond or cultivate marsh plants!!!!

Thank you all. If I just tell you I live in Scotland that might explain to you why the drainage doesnt work so well. Its not the problem of the drainage its the problem that we get so much rain. Thanks again I will now go and look up all the plants suggested