Will last year's new turf grass come back?

All this seems extremely odd; different to my 60 plus years experience of grass. I will stick with my previous opinion/advice.

 

It is what it is at this stage. I'm not going to go after the person who supplied or laid it. I'm just keen to see if I can get some grass growing on it this summer.

Is it possible to just sprinkle grass seed on top of what is there? Or do I need to churn up the turf first?

 

You really need to have a tilth of fine soil in which your new grass seed can be covered, perhaps5- 10mm deep. If the grass and roots have totally rotted, then possibly rake it up when dry. The 'turf' should be like a doormat, with a layer of topsoil within a matted root formation.
Alternative to raking would be to cover the turf layer with fine topsoil and then seed into that.
You should seek a lawn seed described as suitable for shaded areas. Cover the seeded area with netting to deter pigeons etc.
Good luck !

 

Thank you for that. I really appreciate the advice.

 

Quick update having raked the dead turf and spread seed shortly after the previous post. It's taken a few weeks, but some grass now starting to grow. I've used shade-tolerant seeds as it's a dark front garden.