Having cleared the garden we’re now onto the first of several trenches. These trenches are needed for a couple of reasons. We’re going to create a set of terraces down the garden to remove the current slope (good for skiing but no so good to walk up). Each terrace will have a timber sleeper wall at the front. We’ll therefore have to dig some (a lot!!) ground out from the back of each level and build up the front of each. The trenches go down to what will be the new level for each terrace. They’ll also need to be pits to hold the sleeper footings that will hold these walls up.
Here’s the start of the first trench which stretches the entire way across the back of the garden (about 7 meters, or 20ish feet in old money). By the time it’s finished I’m up to my waist!
On one side of the garden the tranch has to be dug through this old paved area:
Whilst digging the trench we got rather more help than needed from the new site foreman 
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When the trench is done we will get some sleepers in & make a start on building the walls – first time making something rather than knocking down at this house!!