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Garden drainage problem

GeoffreyCourty157GeoffreyCourty157 Posts: 6
in Problem solving
I have a garden on a slope in front of a terrace of houses. The top30x10m has old apple trees in it so digging is difficult because of tree roots. The gardens on either side have both had raised flagged ares added so any water run off from the terrace comes into the orchard. There are no drains along the terrace which was built in the early 1900s and water run off from the roofs was expected just  to drain away. Unfortunately it all runs into my garden and in periods of heavy rain, water bubbles up at the top of the garden and soaks the surface to the extent that there is now very little grass! The depth of soil is only about 10 inches above red clay. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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  • Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
    Hi, welcome to the forum.

    Are you saying your neighbour's water runoff is going into your garden causing a problem? 
    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
  • GeoffreyCourty157GeoffreyCourty157 Posts: 6
    Thanks for a swift response. Water from all the terrace roofs is supposed to drain away naturally  (there are 17 houses along the terrace and my garden sits midway along). In most cases this happens but because of the paving on each side of my garden, I seem to get extra run off.
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    GeoffreyCourty157 said:
    I have a garden on a slope in front of a terrace of houses. The top30x10m has old apple trees in it so digging is difficult because of tree roots..
    Any pics please?
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    The law says your neighbours can do that.

    You mention a slope.  Does that not take the water away?  A ditch at your side borders might be needed.  Start small and deepn/widen as necesary.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • McRazzMcRazz Posts: 440
    edited March 2023
    Without pics its hard to visualise the issue but it sounds like you need some attenuation.

    Water butts are a basic form of attenuation.

    So are soakaway crates...

    https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.uk/browse/surface-water-drainage/soakaway-crates.html

    I'd run your gutters direct to some form of attenuation and perhaps link some french drains to it also to deal with surface water runoff.

    An air pick or hard graft & trenching tools will enable to you channel past the tree roots. 

    If the gutters or roofs discharge directly onto the ground then i'd be more worried about my house than the garden...

  • GeoffreyCourty157GeoffreyCourty157 Posts: 6

  • GeoffreyCourty157GeoffreyCourty157 Posts: 6
    Hi McRazz. There are no gutters in the orchard. I have added some pics. Cheers
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    Got sore neck today so trying to self rotate to see those pics is testing  :D
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • GeoffreyCourty157GeoffreyCourty157 Posts: 6
    M33R4. Sorry about that! They were all the right way up when I took the pics.
  • zugeniezugenie Posts: 831
    @GeoffreyCourty157 it’s a quirk of the forum! If you crop them slightly before posting that usually stops it happening


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