[scrawny]

I have just acquired an allotment with clay soil that you could make plates from with no problem! I have dug the soil but it is already like concrete now. I have access to a good amount of very well rotted horse manure (practically compost in texture) but digging it in now is almost impossible given the concrete nature of the soil. Is it a feasible option to just put the rotted manure on top of the soil and grow crops in it? Any suggestions as to what crops would be particularly suited to this approach and which might just keel over and die? Thanks in advance!
 :?

[WG.]

Hi scrawny & welcome to the forums.

I reckon I'd try something like ...

1. dig a hole at each planting spot - put clay into barrow.  Needn't be a big hole - even just a spade full for some crops.

2a. fill hole with manure
2b. create a loam heap in another part of the garden.  Layer contents of wheelbarrow along with even more manure.  You can add layers of gypsum, grass cuttings but this is not a compost heap & it won't get hot.

3. Back in the garden plant into the improved pocket of soil : cabbage family, potato, courgette, pumpkin, marrow.  Pockets for potato should be larger, pockets for courgette etc larger still

[noshed]

The people on my site would think they've died and gone to heaven - they grow pumpkins, courgettes, squash on top of the rotting manure.
And dig the rotted manure in everywhere. It'll be a boon for your clay soil.