[casper]

I love all this help, well interestingly my garden is on two levels, the pond is at the the lower level, before i emptied the pond i noticed some of the liner puffing up above the surface level of the water, i did wonder if rain water could have leacged and stored under the liner, i wonder if i should fill it up again and leave it empty and wait a bit to see, the people before had lots of stone on the bottom maybe for a reason

[BobE]

It could be rainfall that seeped under.
Do as an earlier person suggested, dig a hole next to the pond, dig it below the pond level.  Let the water underneath drain away.  Fill the pond, does it leak into your new hole?

[JayG]

I love all this help, well interestingly my garden is on two levels, the pond is at the the lower level, before i emptied the pond i noticed some of the liner puffing up above the surface level of the water, i did wonder if rain water could have leacged and stored under the liner, i wonder if i should fill it up again and leave it empty and wait a bit to see, the people before had lots of stone on the bottom maybe for a reason

I reckon that Sherlock Holmes would have described the highlighted observations above as "suggestive, but not conclusive until the remaining possible explanations can be eliminated from our investigation."   

I suppose it's just possible that rain could have got under the edges of the liner if it was not properly held down, but I wouldn't have expected that to cause ballooning, which requires some serious upward pressure to lift the water above it when the pond is full.

I still reckon you need to dig that test hole as near to the pond as feasible - can't think of an easier alternative way of checking whether it's the water table causing the problems (knowing someone with a powered post hole auger would be very helpful, of course!)

[8doubles]

I love all this help, well interestingly my garden is on two levels, the pond is at the the lower level, before i emptied the pond i noticed some of the liner puffing up above the surface level of the water, i did wonder if rain water could have leacged and stored under the liner, i wonder if i should fill it up again and leave it empty and wait a bit to see, the people before had lots of stone on the bottom maybe for a reason

I reckon that Sherlock Holmes would have described the highlighted observations above as "suggestive, but not conclusive until the remaining possible explanations can be eliminated from our investigation."   

I suppose it's just possible that rain could have got under the edges of the liner if it was not properly held down, but I wouldn't have expected that to cause ballooning, which requires some serious upward pressure to lift the water above it when the pond is full.

I still reckon you need to dig that test hole as near to the pond as feasible - can't think of an easier alternative way of checking whether it's the water table causing the problems (knowing someone with a powered post hole auger would be very helpful, of course!)

I would think it quite possible, i have seen a soakaway from a roof  that could not cope float two inches of tarmac after heavy rain !

[BobE]

Casper.. Dig the test hole 

[casper]

Okay will get my spade out later and keep you updated. Haha shall we edge our bets now

[BobE]

<<<<< waiting with baited breath.  Bets all edged.

[ANHBUC]

It could be that you have old land drains in your garden casper so the water could be coming from anywhere.  We have a neighbour (backing on to ours) who was getting effluent in his garden so the Water Authority came to investigate.  They started at the top of our road which was higher than his garden and found nothing.  They ended up finding a blocked sewage drain further down the road.  It was forcing effluent up hill through the land drains and then back down into his garden!!!   

I am not saying it will be foul water but it could be someone overwatering their garden, someone elses leaking pond or even a broken surface water drain if you have old land drains in. 

I hope you find out what is causing it and an easy solution.   

[casper]

Hope this picture uploadsto give you an idea what it looks like 

http://s1243.photobucket.com/user/crofttefc/media/20130725_212607.jpg.html

[casper]

http://s1243.photobucket.com/user/crofttefc/media/20130725_212543.jpg.html

[casper]

http://s1243.photobucket.com/user/crofttefc/media/20130725_212448.jpg.html

[casper]

Wow I am a clever girl, the garden is a tip, believe it or not this is a sight better than it was, it was pea shingled from to back entirely and where you see the shed and flags was a wopping tree stump, 

[casper]

http://s1243.photobucket.com/user/crofttefc/media/20130402_192352.jpg.html

[BobE]

Casper your dog is as daft as mine...

[casper]

Haha spoilt too by the looks of it