Update aus meinem Beitrag vor ein paar Tagen https://www.reddit.com/r/gardinguk/s/0dmc7taxnt
Vielen Dank für die Antworten aller Zeiten. Ich habe versucht, wie vorgeschlagen, teilweise darunter zu graben, um zu sehen, ob es wirklich nur ein Weg oder etwas anderes ist, und in der Hoffnung, ihn zusammenzubrechen.
Es geht jedoch tief, wie Sie sehen können. Selbst wenn es nur ein Weg ist, an dem ich jetzt zweifle, glaube ich nicht, dass ich das bewegen kann. (Wasser auf dem Bild stammt von mir mit einem Schlauch, um ein besseres Aussehen zu bekommen).
Wie auch immer, diesmal ist es 1: 0 zum Beton. Morgen bedecke ich es wieder, ich werde wilde Blumen über etwas davon pflanzen, was ich tun wollte, bevor ich abgelenkt wurde, und der Rest kann nur Gras sein, das im Sommer gelb wird … jemand schlug vor, Sand abzulegen, um bei der Entwässerung zu helfen, also werde ich das versuchen.
Wie auch immer, danke allen für die Kommentare! Ich werde Albträume über Zombies ein bisschen haben 😅
Von: Miva26
22 Comments
Looks like an old path. Those broken up brick beneath it will be a hardcore foundation. A large sledgehammer and pick would likely be needed to break it up and lift it. And some graft.
I reckon you need to get Time Team in
Don’t let it defeat you! I got rid of something similar with brute force and ignorance, and 1,000 trips to the tip. I believe in you!
Sledgehammer wont do it, you’ll just bounce yourself into next week. But a chisel and a lump hammer to break the surface and a wrecking bar will have it in manageable chunks. A smart man would rent/borrow/steal a modestly sized concrete breaker but that is definitely not me.
That much soil and turf doesn’t get there by accident. I expect the original garden has been soiled over and turfed. The wall and edging in the picture look relatively modern, so I would expect this to be the retaining wall to keep the soil contained, along with the edging stones.
The path will break into big chunks but it’s hard work and requires two people.
A large breaker (think pneumatic drill) would allow you to remove it by yourself.
Alternatively you could remove the turf over the existing path, put down subbase then gravel/pave a new path.
Have you done any research on the property- when it was built etc, and see if you can find any older maps?
I agree with the thought that it might be footings – looks like a concrete cap on an old external wall, and the thinner one is an internal?
(Good job saving the grass)
I had to deal with something similar although not as deep in all places.
Buy yourself a breaker, get some beers in and invite a couple of mates round to help out and it’ll be done in a weekend.
https://www.toolstation.com/einhell-15kg-1600w-demolition-hammer
Skip hire isn’t too expensive and would hopefully cost under £500 if you can get a couple of volunteers.
Exposing the side makes it even more clear that it’s just an old path.
I had to remove something similar buried under my lawn.
I used an SDS drill to make holes slightly narrower than a bolster, then drove the bolster into the holes with a sledge hammer to crack the concrete. It was not easy. Hopefully someone has a better recommendation for how to break it up.
It’s obviously an old path, and the side bit is perhaps footings for an old wall.
I’m puzzled though why you’d put sand down when re-turfing to aid drainage, when you say it dries out and goes yellow in the Summer?
We forget that people used to use their outside space primarily to dry clothes,store wood, dump fireplace ashes, pour the chamber pots away, and when they got rich and posh, to use the “outhouse”. Having a concrete yard not a mud yard would’ve been a blessing.
If you’ve got a large wrecking bar (e.g. [this](https://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-14lb-chisel-point-digging-bar-50mm-x-1520mm/165KG?tc=NT1&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAiaC-BhBEEiwAjY99qHNUSxr2ZQBUor8oBm2S4EVVEo5ifKRY5wcVnSLw-WYYsawMpuI_LRoC_lAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)) then you’d make short work of it.
Unreinforced concrete breaks easily when unsupported. Dig out underneath part of it and lift or pry it up. Once you’ve got started it’ll get easier.
If your back won’t take it then a labourer would be a big help for you.
Depending upon your council’s hardcore policy you might decide to get a small skip instead of taking it to the tip.
It might seem like a lot of work but in the long run it’s not all that much work for a better garden
I (f) had some enormous concrete blocks along the flower borders in my garden. Got fed up one year with never being able to dig down so took the plunge and started digging. I was amazed at the size of what was buried. OP it is possible to get that out if you really want to. It’ll take a bit of effort as others have said, but once started it’s very satisfying. If you leave it and try and make do, you’ll never be happy with your garden.
Definitely a cover up job. Not worth the effort just to relawn it. Send us your wildflower pics when they start popping up.
It does look like a path.
My first thought is to make use of it somehow, maybe by covering it with gravel, change the shape around the edges a bit .. but then I’m a bit lazy.
I have just removed a similar path running across my entire garden.
Took a sledge hammer and a few nights after work. Rather cathartic and more enjoyable than anticipated.
I am the size of a goblin, so if I can do it I am sure anyone else can.
Old garden path ruins new garden path .
Send in Time Team, might be Roman 🤭
You could put pots on it year round, make a feature, perhaps a birdbath, then no unsightly dead grass in summer.
Excited for more updates lol
Hire a mid sized breaker, get some goggles and ear defenders, and you’ll have this smashed up in a day. Go for it!
If you want a path why not do a bit of exploratory digging and see how far this one goes? You might just need to uncover it and clean it up. If the soil is only a few inches deep it might have just been covered by natural accumulation.