Been mulling over all your suggestions and, prior to acting on them, I'm going to try and remove the edging to the back border (just the piece at the shed end) and see if that improves the drainage situation. My hope would be that gravity takes the excess water under the back fence and reduces the amount gathering in that corner
If that works, the border edging would look a little odd but I'm sure that can be alleviated/masked with some planting.
November GW magazine came today has an article about Monty's garden being flooded regularly. He suggests (like obelixx) work with what you've got, don't try to fight it, that's hard work and probably not successful.
I'm a bit late here, but gooseberries do well on clay. The gooseberry centre of England is in Cheshire - heavy clay soil. I wouldn't say they are delighted to be waterlogged, but they tolerate it reasonably well.
Too late @Lizzie27 - it's been dragged over to the other side of the lawn. It wasn't the main problem with the waterlogging but needed to come out so I can get that piece of edging out. The plan is for a nice wide border down that side so it couldn't stay in that corner any longer.
I had the same problem when creating beds/borders here, and most recently when making a small water lily pond. Big chunks of kerbstone were the main problem, as I'm at the end of the row and next to the road. Good for the muscles, and gave my knackered shoulder muscle a good workout
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
Gone for it again this morning. We're due some nasty weather so it will be interesting to see where/how the rainfall pools now.
I'm imagining that it will form a pool below ground level (basically, in the whole I've dug) and hoping that it drains away slightly quicker without the edging there.
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If that works, the border edging would look a little odd but I'm sure that can be alleviated/masked with some planting.
If there is no change over the winter, I'll have to hold my hand up.
Good for the muscles, and gave my knackered shoulder muscle a good workout
I'm imagining that it will form a pool below ground level (basically, in the whole I've dug) and hoping that it drains away slightly quicker without the edging there.