The secret to laying a good lawn?

[ImOnABreak]

Help, oh wise and green fingered mMners!

I have a bog ATM and want to sort it.

Our house was bought as a new build 10 yrs ago and the postage stamp of a garden was just mud that the builders levelled.
We put 2 tonnes of chippings on top and left it as neither dp or myself are particularly gifted in the gardening dept.

Now we have dc I want a lawn for them to play on.

Dp has removed said chippings and wants to lay turf straight onto the heavy, compacted mud. I m pretty sure we need to do something to improve the drainage as the water tends to sit on top of the mud.

I think this is a crap way to do it and am now seeking the idiots guide to laying a lawn.

Can anyone please help?!

not enough space here to give the advice needed, so please do not be annoyed when i suggest you pick up a book on subject /speak to someone who you have seen with a lovely gdn as gardening people usually like to give advice but if you or your partner were to take an amount of this compacted mud , break it up and look at how little insect life , or life at all there is therein, that is an indication of how much may have to be done > rich insect life =good soil ,mud must be removed or broken up and mixed with several other materials .expect you could google it? hope this helps

Haven't got much of the gravel left- the stones are about an inch in diameter so maybe to big?

Have looked into hiring a rotavator (sp?) in a couple of months, would it be an idea to dig in something like gravel to help the soil? Have had a dig about and there doesn't seem to be much insect life in it.

Not after a pitch fit for wembley but enough for kids to have a kick about without it turning to a bog after each rain shower!

I re seeded my lawn last year from scratch ( also had new build rubble mud garden ) we dug it all over quite thoroughly and dug in lots and lots of well rotted manure. Then left for couple of months (due to funds) which worked to our advantage since the worms had worked the manure into the clay and was much easier to dig over (again) we then dug in some soil conditioner, added a layer of top soil, scattered some organic fertiliser over and seeded. Lawn has survived winter this year and is free draining
Lot of hard slog but it's been worth it (neighbours asked how we did it and want to do the same)