Drainage help, please

But drainage isn.t vertical, its broadly horizontal with a degree (or two) of verticality declining.

 

Is clay isn't a problem why has all my grass died?

 

Is there anything growing there - moss, weeds etc? That might be a clue. Usually you get moss if it's too damp and/or too shady. Healthy weed seedlings growing would indicate there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the soil - generally if grass dies off or even just gets thin, opportunistic weed seeds will land and grow there. Weeds will grow where for example there isn't enough sun for grass to really thrive.

If the grass has died and nothing else is growing now that we're into spring, I would be wondering if there's something wrong with the soil for example subsoil instead of topsoil on the surface (can happen with landscaping that changes levels if all the soil is removed and put back on willy-nilly instead of subsoil first then topsoil). Of such hard compaction that nothing can get a root down (can happen if it's been compacted by machinery instead of proper treading and raking when prepping for the lawn, or if it's a new build and the compaction from the building site work wasn't properly dealt with). Or some kind of contamination but I think that's less likely.

 

This is what's left of my grass, the kids like to throw the stones.

 

See post above about quality of soil. If it's heavily contaminated by chalk or pieces of concrete/dust not much would grow in that.

 

Frankly, James, the solution would perhaps be a good quality i.e. soft, fake grass. At least until the children grow out of the stone -throwing stage? That's going to play havoc with a mower!

 

I thought about fake grass but we have kids, dogs then occasionally the chickens get left out ( 7x banthams).

 

Plastic sounds even more practical as long as the chickens don't try to eat it! Even then, they'd only peck once.... they're intelligent birds

 

I think chickens are likely to ruin grass in the winter.
My grass is non existent in places where the dog runs, if it is wet and clayey and getting walked on all winter with even chicken pecking around I think you are lucky to still have some remnants.