Down the drain... for the right reasons

Drainage .. not the most exciting of topics for a blog post, but something that is necessary to protect the property, and it documents some history.
Fred and I were aware on purchase that we would need to address the drainage at the back of the house, because the concrete was sloping in such a way that forced all the rain up against the house causing rising damp. 
The advice we received was that the concrete close to the house needed to be dug up, drainage installed, and then the channel filled with stones.  All easier said than done because the back of the house is difficult to get to with the digging equipment. 
One week and lots of noise from the jackhammer (sorry!)  later, the new drainage system was in place, and works! No longer does the wall of the house get wet even in the heaviest of downfalls.

and muddy There were enough stones left over to provide a good cover for the churned up back pathway.