Gravel to grass

Morning all.
The front of our house has had 20mm gravel for at least 15 years. We just moved in 18 months ago.
I can't stand the stuff - ugly as sin - so I intend getting rid of it.
Given that the soil underneath has been deprived of nutrients for a long time, should I add anything to it?
My plan is just to bag the gravel up and either get rid (via advertising for free or a skip if necessary - I'll probably keep a bit for planter drainage and maybe the bottom of my not-yet-dug wildlife pond), then rake up the soil a bit under it, flatten it and lay turf.
I suspect there will be a step or two between raking it up and laying the turf...
It's bad enough that I'm doing it in the warmer weather but needs must - how will I stop my grass starving to death?
Thank you!

 

How long do you think it will take you to properly prepare the ground?

The reason I ask that is there are two windows per year for starting grass off. You've missed the first, in early spring. The second window opens at the end of summer, into early autumn. Basically it's the two times of year when it's warm enough for grass to grow but not so warm it dries out before it gets going.

In terms of soil prep, it depends on its current condition and if you're going for turf or seed. Personally I would go for seed every time. It's not really any slower than turf, and it's a fraction of the price.

 

It does in my garden.

 

Yeah, there's membranes under it... filled 20 bags with between 10 and 15kg each... hardly made a dent in it...

 

Hmm.. difficult to tell really - it does look a little clay-like, but it has been compacted damp for the best part of 20 years. I'll take a handful out today after work and leave on one side to dry out a little and see how it looks

 

It's 20mm John - it's not pea gravel or anything else... this stuff is big stones made of flint and chert. I have to say there's been no flooding or anything... but I'll have a look at it today

 

ha ha well obviously it didn't look like that before I started... :D the root marks are from a particularly vigorous and extremely prickly rose thing that lasted less than a day when I moved in. The soil itself is a rich brown and crumbly - not sure how much nutrients are left in it, but there were still a fair few worms and I have to pull up ash saplings every time I go out, so it isn't a total desert... I was thinking of roughing it up, levelling it, then chucking on some topsoil and fertiliser and finally the grass... still humming and haa-ing between grass and turf...

 

Oh, and the dry bit on the right used to be tarmac - easy enough to lift so all that will be gone also. I think the soil is friable enough that I can use a mechanical tiller on it... I'm not sure yet. It should all be gone by the end of the week anyway

 

Jeez - there's a newt under the weed web - can't leave it there and the pond is still just an idea...