[shygirl]

our land is also clay. it was a perforated pipe topped with 3inch stones

To be honest 3 inches of stone is nothing. I put at least 12 inches ontop of mine and then a geotextile fabric to stop the soil getting into the stone. Here's me doing mine in the summer (2014)

oops, i meant the stones were 3inch in size. it would have been at least 2 foot deep if not more at some points as the drain had to run down to the burn but the land had a considerable rise in it mid way along.

[Pundyburn Lynn]

Second attempt at uploading photo...

[Pundyburn Lynn]

Yay, it's worked!  Rushes/reeds EVERYWHERE!!

[spandit]

Yay, it's worked!  Rushes/reeds EVERYWHERE!!

Looks like my land! Plant willow... lots of it

[Backinwellies]

Use the money you would have spent on draining to buy some better land to start with.

[AndynJ]

Use the money you would have spent on draining to buy some better land to start with.

Awesome reply 

If you want to DIY on the cheap buy or hire a digger, build dutch land drains they work really well, I've put a few in just so we don't get puddles.

[ladyK]

If you want to DIY on the cheap buy or hire a digger, build dutch land drains they work really well, I've put a few in just so we don't get puddles.

Can someone please explain what exactly Dutch drains are and how they work?

[VEG]

Do a search on you tube loads of videos on them, and different ways of doing them.

[ladyK]

Aaah, I searched google and it didn't come up with anything useful, obviously I should have checked YT directly - didn't think of that. Doh! Thanks for the tip!

[Smudge.casper]

I have been watching this, to see how it developed, before answering.  ( and trying to keep a straight face) I am not sure if the policy of not having an argument or debate at Dan and Rosemarys dinner table is the best solution to give genuine advice for questions raised on this forum.  For Dutch drains replace with French drains then Google and you have all the information that you need and then sum.  However I am not sure this is the way to go and be able to use the land productively.  French drains are normally associated with draining motorway embankments where it does not matter if the land is undulating for the drains to be successful.  Very little drainage is carried out now mainly because the 100% grants that were available years ago are no longer available.  Environmental issues also prevent drainage being done ( one of the reasons that the water ways in summerset was not carried out was due to water voles population the area).  If you search wavincoil or wavinflow it should also help and assist with your problem.


Good luck
Casper&smudge