Yes, that's right, brucklay, foul water and rainwater have to be separate. I have a soggy garden too, also because of the clay underlay, but because it is also low lying there's no chance of digging deep enough to put anything in to change the soil type - and an acre of clay is very difficult to change. So I usually have a couple of inches of water laying on top of the grass in heavy rainfall. I've improved the front of the house by separating off a gravelled area with plants in pots, but at the back of the rear area there is hardcore and gravel about a foot lower than the rest of the garden - it often floods to about 8 or 9 inches. I'd like to develop that area somehow and a pond has been suggested but I don't have a lot of cash left so not sure what to do. So what I am saying gstar9 is that you could put down membrane and gravel near the house to make it more amenable. One advantage for me is that the dogs no longer drag mud onto the cream hallway carpet (and no, before you all tell me off, I didn't lay it - it came with the house lol)