[Shinding]

I need some opinions as we just can't seem to make our minds up. We're based in West Wales and it's been a very wet winter. Our land needs drainage channels in across our meadow and other grassed areas asap but it's so wet and boggy I don't want the land to be wrecked by the digger (even though it'll have caterpillar tracks) as we're hoping to open a small off-grid glamping site for Easter.

So, should we wait until we get some dry weather (I know it's a long shot!) and try then, hoping the damage will be less, or should we go for it and hope the damaged ground will seed and repair itself quickly?

Thanks.

[Womble]

Hi Shindig, I don't know the answer to your question, but what I would say is go out with some posts or something and mark the worst bits now, and hence the routes you want your drainage to take. We have a couple of 'spongy' areas caused by water bubbling up out of blocked field drains. Right now they are really easy to identify, but after a week with no rain, somewhat less so!

[Shinding]

Good advice thanks Womble - we have been known to have some lovely days;)

[Me]

I am West Wales and we have not had a dry spell since spring. Cleared out sheds and piled muck just through gateway as it would have made too much mess to cart it. Just gave up waiting and spread it last week. Massive mess. Doing some groundworks here today, similar problems, ruts deeper by 4-6" with each pass. Piling spoil on the yard in the way for moving when we have a dry spell.... if you can get the machine on at all you might as well dig the drains at the first opportunity

[landroverroy]

I too would do it now if possible. I would normally say "wait till the land dries" but it might not dry out sufficiently before Easter. Given that it's going to make a mess whenever, at least it will give a chance to get the grass grown back and land dried out before your potential visitors are due. 

[Foobar]

Similar problem here - south wales - will be doing ours in Feb, hoping for some cold drying weather!!

I would just get it done when its practical to do so - even if you make a mess - the benefit of having the drains in will outweigh the hassle of clearing up the mess.  You can always drive over the ruts later to even them out.  It may never stop raining this year ... !

[Shinding]

Thanks Me, Landroverroy and Foobar (lovely to have a instant community I can throw my thoughts over to) think we will go for it and either get the digger to keep to same tracks, as much as he can, or use different paths so he doesn't go over the same area too many times and we'll just see how it goes. Everywhere looks so bare and bleak this month I think I've forgotten how madly everything grows once we're out of winter!

[philcaegrug]

The digger shouldn't cause too much damage but are you taking the spoil away or leaving it on one side? A dumper continually travelling back and fore will make a heck of a mess.  Can you open the drains now and leave them open until the land dries and then backfill?

[Shinding]

That's a good suggestion Phil - we could leave the spoil on one side but leaving it there may kill off the grass. We can see how it goes on the day and keep that in mind. Thanks.

[Backinwellies]

Another Wet S Wales smallholding here  (just graphed the rainfall for 2017 ... a very unusually distribution!) ..... we had some gateways done in a so called dry spell which of course went wet within 3 days.... the dumper used has damaged some old drains and left us unable to drive to 2 fields at all this winter .... so yes beware of the dumper!

[Foobar]

Don't worry about killing grass, it'll come back.

[Shinding]

Grass always comes back just where you don't need it but Murphy's Law it'll take it's own sweet time where we do want it!! We just don't want our glamping site to look awful when we open for Easter.

[bazzais]

Will it be wet and boggy the months when your renting your glamping spaces? If not - why bother unless you plan to rent out in the winter? Or just wait till fall this year when the season ends.

To be fair though sometimes there is no time but now - it would probably heal by easter although probably couldnt cope with much footfall on the new areas.

We have had no bookings whatsoever over the winter - although have not pushed it - I think you would have to be a 'certain' kind of person to want to stay in a yurt in winter - they are few and far between. To be fair though we dont have log burners - Never have a fire in a tent is my moto, not for people who you dont know if have ever lit a fire before.

Anyway - good luck with it - another west wales crew member

Baz

[Shinding]

TBH, it could very well be wet and boggy during our peak season if the weather's bad. Thanks for the good luck Bazzais, we're feeling a bit panicky this week about whether our site will look good enough - am just hoping it's a harsh, grey, bare Jan/Feb making me doubt ourselves and our site!!

[bazzais]

You will be fine - attract the right minded people and you'll be OK

Be honest on your website (if you have one and if not get one quick) - we state that we dont do the 'Sunday Times' glamping experience - we provide a yurt in a field that gets wet outside when its wet and cold when it gets cold with farm noise sometimes when farm noise is necessary. And bring the kit you would on a camping trip but without the hassle of bringing a tent.  We generally get people who are geared up and appreciate the stay and very few people who complain that there is no mobile signal and they got their £200 Nike trainers dirty.