our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track.

the garden has always been wet and after a lot of rain water would
push up between concrete cracks at the bottom of the garden. This
didn't matter much.
Last year the poplar in the park beyond died and its been fairly wet.
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged. Beyond the garden outside the
neighbours back gate the water accumulates because it cannot get
beyond a slightly raised concreted section at the back of the
neighbour two away, I doubt anything not 4x4 could now get through the
access track.
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?
--
Mike

Brownfingers wrote:
our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track.


Ok...

the garden has always been wet and after a lot of rain water would
push up between concrete cracks at the bottom of the garden. This
didn't matter much.

Ok..

Last year the poplar in the park beyond died and its been fairly wet.
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged. Beyond the garden outside the
neighbours back gate the water accumulates because it cannot get
beyond a slightly raised concreted section at the back of the
neighbour two away, I doubt anything not 4x4 could now get through the
access track.
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?

I have a similar problem. Essentially we have solved it by building
raised beds and also by throwing down hardcore and MOT type 1
(limestone) and covering that with the topsoil we scarped off earlier.
The 'stream' now runs UNDER the ground as it were, in the hardcore!

The key is as with any land drainage to provide a fast water path under
the land you want not to be a bog. That gets the water to where you want
it without screwing up your bit of land. General ideas include what I
described - a porous layer under the topsoil - or porous pipes
herringboned into the subsoil, or mole ploughing which is the same, but
slightly less permanent.

Its a perennial problem as more and more trees are cut down, and more an
more land is tarmacked and paved over.

Drainage beyond your property boundary is usually the local council, or
the local water authorities responsibility: However most suburban
council shave forgotten that ditches even exist, or what they are for.
The tendency is also to simply take runoff sewers as rapidly as possible
to the nearest stream or river, pass teh water downstream and make it
someone elses problem!

If the access road is private, consider raising it with MOT sub base,
and putting drainage channels down the side. If its public, try the
council. But don't hold your breath, compared with the lesbian black
disabled wheelchair drop in center, ditches don't gain many brownie
points these days. Mind you, that's a point. Cultivate a lesbian black
wheel chair user and complain that she cant get in your back gate.

They will be all over you like a rash!

Or buy a 4x4.

On Jun 15, 12:32*pm, Brownfingers wrote:
our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track.

the garden has always been wet and after a lot of rain water would
push up between concrete cracks at the bottom of the garden. This
didn't matter much.
Last year the poplar in the park beyond died and its been fairly wet.
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged. Beyond the garden outside the
neighbours back gate the water accumulates because it cannot get
beyond a slightly raised concreted section at the back of the
neighbour two away, I doubt anything not 4x4 could now get through the
access track.
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?

I think your only solution is to build an ark!

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:57:03 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Cultivate a lesbian black
wheel chair user and complain that she cant get in your back gate.

That'd work - I had n African, bisexual, patially disabled GF and she go
everything going. I said that all she lacked was an illegitimate child; her
eyes lit up - I got worried!
--
Peter.
The head of a pin will hold more angels if
it's been flattened with an angel-grinder.

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:57:03 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

ditches don't gain many brownie points these days.

But dykes do, apparently

moghouse wrote:
On Jun 15, 12:32 pm, Brownfingers wrote:
our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track.

the garden has always been wet and after a lot of rain water would
push up between concrete cracks at the bottom of the garden. This
didn't matter much.
Last year the poplar in the park beyond died and its been fairly wet.
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged. Beyond the garden outside the
neighbours back gate the water accumulates because it cannot get
beyond a slightly raised concreted section at the back of the
neighbour two away, I doubt anything not 4x4 could now get through the
access track.
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?

I think your only solution is to build an ark!
Naw just be patient and wait. The government assure us that global
warming is to increase and water will be at a premium, and we all
believe politicians, don't we?

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:32:50 +0100, Brownfingers wrote:
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?

Invest in a small bottling plant. Print labels claiming 'natural' and
'healthy'. Sell the stuff, make a fortune. Suggest 'Poplar Springs' as the
name of your company.

On Jun 15, 12:32*pm, Brownfingers wrote:
our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track.

the garden has always been wet and after a lot of rain water would
push up between concrete cracks at the bottom of the garden. This
didn't matter much.
Last year the poplar in the park beyond died and its been fairly wet.
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged. Beyond the garden outside the
neighbours back gate the water accumulates because it cannot get
beyond a slightly raised concreted section at the back of the
neighbour two away, I doubt anything not 4x4 could now get through the
access track.
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?
--
Mike

Plant some trees to replace the Poplar which was sucking up the water.

MBQ

Derek Turner wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:57:03 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

ditches don't gain many brownie points these days.

But dykes do, apparently
Now that is pretty damned good.

Man at B&Q wrote:
On Jun 15, 12:32 pm, Brownfingers wrote:
our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track.

the garden has always been wet and after a lot of rain water would
push up between concrete cracks at the bottom of the garden. This
didn't matter much.
Last year the poplar in the park beyond died and its been fairly wet.
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged. Beyond the garden outside the
neighbours back gate the water accumulates because it cannot get
beyond a slightly raised concreted section at the back of the
neighbour two away, I doubt anything not 4x4 could now get through the
access track.
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?
--
Mike

Plant some trees to replace the Poplar which was sucking up the water.

MBQ
Does NOT work in winter.
DAMHIKT

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:57:03 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

The key is as with any land drainage to provide a fast water path under
the land you want not to be a bog. That gets the water to where you want
it without screwing up your bit of land. General ideas include what I
described - a porous layer under the topsoil - or porous pipes
herringboned into the subsoil, or mole ploughing which is the same, but
slightly less permanent.

this was my thinking, big gravel first then raise the path with slabs
and I cannot see the "stream"

Its a perennial problem as more and more trees are cut down, and more an
more land is tarmacked and paved over.

ditches don't gain many brownie

what if I ask for a dyke?
--
Mike

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:43:20 -0700 (PDT), "Man at B&Q"
wrote:

Plant some trees to replace the Poplar which was sucking up the water.

would be ideal but the poplar was on public land and would take years
to grow, vandals permitting. My garden is full of trees already.
--
Mike

On 15 Jun 2009 12:27:10 GMT, Derek Turner wrote:

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:57:03 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

ditches don't gain many brownie points these days.

But dykes do, apparently

Brilliant!

It was in Knighton where Glyndwr had his Way with Offa's Dyke.
--
Peter.
The head of a pin will hold more angels if
it's been flattened with an angel-grinder.

In article ,
says...
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:43:20 -0700 (PDT), "Man at B&Q"
wrote:

Plant some trees to replace the Poplar which was sucking up the water.

would be ideal but the poplar was on public land and would take years
to grow, vandals permitting. My garden is full of trees already.

Why not make a feature of it and make a natural pond, the overflow from
that you could route into the road drainage system, but it would always
be worth checking that it is a spring not a water leak from a pipe so
give the water people a ring and tell them they have a leak they will
soon tell you if its nothing to do with then!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:20:43 +0100, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

Why not make a feature of it and make a natural pond, the overflow from
that you could route into the road drainage system, but it would always
be worth checking that it is a spring not a water leak from a pipe so
give the water people a ring and tell them they have a leak they will
soon tell you if its nothing to do with then!

its very season/weather dependent and there's been boggy ground in the
park nearbye till they drained it, so I think its natural.
Unfortunately there is no road drainage downhill from where it is.
Breaking News!
We have found a drain in the track behind the house, a neighbour has
cleared it and that has cleared the track of water. I imagine it runs
down to the river, will find out more. So if I can route the water out
of sight in the garden as suggested, things may be OK.
--
Mike

Brownfingers wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:20:43 +0100, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

Why not make a feature of it and make a natural pond, the overflow from
that you could route into the road drainage system, but it would always
be worth checking that it is a spring not a water leak from a pipe so
give the water people a ring and tell them they have a leak they will
soon tell you if its nothing to do with then!

its very season/weather dependent and there's been boggy ground in the
park nearbye till they drained it, so I think its natural.
Unfortunately there is no road drainage downhill from where it is.
Breaking News!
We have found a drain in the track behind the house, a neighbour has
cleared it and that has cleared the track of water. I imagine it runs
down to the river, will find out more. So if I can route the water out
of sight in the garden as suggested, things may be OK.

Ah. The dyke that time forgot ;-)

Yup. route your drainage to that!

..
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged.

I've invented a trick to drain grass
where I cut out turfs along where I want it to drain,
then slice earth off the bottom of the turfs
and slope the edges of the new ditch
then replace the turfs
so there's a depression running down the lawn..
in the dry it's not noticeable and you can run and walk and cycle
without falling in
but in the wet the water follows it downhill..

I ahve various inspection pits dug in the earth round my house
and i look at the levels of water in them after rainfall
and adjust and evolve the drainage...

[g]

In message
,
moghouse writes
On Jun 15, 12:32*pm, Brownfingers wrote:
our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track.

the garden has always been wet and after a lot of rain water would
push up between concrete cracks at the bottom of the garden. This
didn't matter much.
Last year the poplar in the park beyond died and its been fairly wet.
We now have a boggy patch in the lawn and water running down the path,
one small bed is totally waterlogged. Beyond the garden outside the
neighbours back gate the water accumulates because it cannot get
beyond a slightly raised concreted section at the back of the
neighbour two away, I doubt anything not 4x4 could now get through the
access track.
Where would you start looking for a solution, Thames water? The
Council? Some DIY work?

I think your only solution is to build an ark!

'E'd gotten the wood for the bulwarks, And all t'other shipbuilding
junk,
And wanted some nice Bird's Eye Maple To panel the side of 'is bunk.

prolly good for BBQs too ...

--
geoff

"Brownfingers" wrote in message
...
our garden slopes down to a park which is beyond a common access
track....

Is there more sloping ground above the garden? If so, the answer is to build
an intercepting drain (which could be a gravel filled ditch under the grass)
at the highest part of the garden and to pipe the water from that to the
bottom. The garden then only has to deal with the water falling on it, not
that plus any water falling on the hill above.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:15:35 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

Is there more sloping ground above the garden?

yes, but no on my land.
--
Mike

"Allthumbs" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:15:35 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

Is there more sloping ground above the garden?

yes, but no on my land.

It is still feeding water onto your land, so a very effective way to keep
your land dryer is to intercept that water with a drain at the top of your
land.

Colin Bignell

--
..
"nightjar .me.uk" cpb@insert my surname here wrote in message
...

"Allthumbs" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:15:35 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

Is there more sloping ground above the garden?

yes, but no on my land.

It is still feeding water onto your land, so a very effective way to keep
your land dryer is to intercept that water with a drain at the top of your
land.

Colin Bignell


OR, do as my daughter and son in law have done. Make it into a stream, get a
JCB in at the bottom and the wettest patch and dig a big pond. Their's is
about 40 foot diameter with an Island in the middle for wild life. The
overflow then goes into the Village Pond which is just outside and across
the road :-)) Your overflow could go into the road.

Mike

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:13:04 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

Is there more sloping ground above the garden?

yes, but no on my land.

It is still feeding water onto your land, so a very effective way to keep
your land dryer is to intercept that water with a drain at the top of your
land.

remember its a spring, if I dug up the whole garden (including
removing trees) I could pipe to the bottom, but that's not possible
I'm afraid.
--
Mike

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:22:21 +0100, "'Mike'"
wrote:

OR, do as my daughter and son in law have done. Make it into a stream, get a
JCB in at the bottom and the wettest patch and dig a big pond. Their's is
about 40 foot diameter with an Island in the middle for wild life. The
overflow then goes into the Village Pond which is just outside and across
the road :-)) Your overflow could go into the road.

much too large scale for this, I think a foot wide and deep run of
gravel with slabs on top at the wettest point and raising the path a
couple of inches is best idea so far for the actual site. The plan is
a bit blocked by a large shrubs roots so will have to hope it flows
through that, not perfect but we will see.
Thanks for all ideas BTW
--
Mike

Allthumbs wrote:
On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:13:04 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

Is there more sloping ground above the garden?
yes, but no on my land.
It is still feeding water onto your land, so a very effective way to keep
your land dryer is to intercept that water with a drain at the top of your
land.

remember its a spring, if I dug up the whole garden (including
removing trees) I could pipe to the bottom, but that's not possible
I'm afraid.

i think you need a pond/sump/hole at the top,
and another at the bottom.

The top one should collect all the water coming into your land,
and send it down a pipe or trench or depression to the lower pond.

When it rains there's lots of surface water
which you want to channel away before it seeps in.

[g]

Allthumbs wrote:
On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:22:21 +0100, "'Mike'"
wrote:

OR, do as my daughter and son in law have done. Make it into a stream, get a
JCB in at the bottom and the wettest patch and dig a big pond. Their's is
about 40 foot diameter with an Island in the middle for wild life. The
overflow then goes into the Village Pond which is just outside and across
the road :-)) Your overflow could go into the road.

much too large scale for this, I think a foot wide and deep run of
gravel with slabs on top at the wettest point and raising the path a
couple of inches is best idea so far for the actual site. The plan is
a bit blocked by a large shrubs roots so will have to hope it flows
through that, not perfect but we will see.
Thanks for all ideas BTW

I get out when it's raining and see where the water is
and make small trenches until it flows,
then grass them up,
then next time it rains I get out and adjust it again...

And I have holes dug around the garden so I can monitor the water levels.

The rain water used to drain from the previous owner's well manured
flower bed
in through the air bricks and under the house!

[g]

"Allthumbs" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:13:04 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

Is there more sloping ground above the garden?

yes, but no on my land.

It is still feeding water onto your land, so a very effective way to keep
your land dryer is to intercept that water with a drain at the top of your
land.

remember its a spring,

The chances are that a spring in sloping ground is a seepage spring, which
is fed by water flowing downhill through the earth until it reaches the
point at which there is so much water it cannot stay underground. Stop water
feeding it and it will stop flowing. Of course, if it is a fracture spring,
discharging from a crack in underlying bedrock, you won't be able to stop
it.that way.

if I dug up the whole garden (including
removing trees) I could pipe to the bottom, but that's not possible
I'm afraid.

The practicality of putting in the necessary drainage is another matter,
which only you can judge.

Colin Bignell