"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
The normal reason for small patches not growing anything is a
near-total lack of water or a near-total lack of drainage.

Nope, loadsa rain in Cornwall and the slopes 1 in 12 and the soil is well
drained.


both sound implausible, I quite agree that getting a sample of
the soil analysed is a good idea. There aren't many things so
nasty that they will prevent all plant growth for several seasons,
in soil exposed to the rain.

However, I am assuming that it had been dug over to a spade's
depth, so that the common problems are implausible.

Yes, well dug last season and this. Sounds like something nasty and it's at
the top of the slope. I would hate it to spread, so as per Bob's post,
sounds like a Council jobbo.

Pete