beastman wrote:
Thanks Chris for your post - will go for the 2nd option!

Phil - the good news, I think, is that your topsoil was very cheap
(presumably because you bought in bulk?). The bad news, I guess your
back is knackered?

Not really, it's what i do.

Had another 20t delivered today but we only needed about 8.

I erected a fence this afternoon, 8 X 9ft conc posts, 7 X concrete panels
and 7X 5ft timber panels

It's only 6ft high (5ft timber and 1ft of conc) but the posts are going
through a foot and a bit of soft topsoil we've just laid, so we needed 18in
into the subsoil.

Sorry, I can't let you take the spare topsoil, I'll need it on the next
garden next week...225m2 of turf to lay tomorrow.

I wouldn't use this topsoil for anything special like beds or suchlikes,
it's OK under meadow turf. Some of the stuff from builders merchants
(especially the place you mentioned in St Helens NWTT) is likely to be
recycled, we can get this delivered in bulk for less than a tenner a tonne,
but it's mostly ground up bricks, gravel and other contaminants and a small
amount of actual soil. Not good for most things but if you're building a
motorway and need a few thousand tonnes to prop up grass and shrubs, it's
perfect.