John, the ground here sounds similar to what you have through there in Fife. About 2 feet of soil,and sand followed by heavy clay down to the water table.

The only tools I use to dig narrow 4' holes are a pinch bar* and a long handled straight shovel. The first couple of feet are easy, but when you get to the clay what you need to do is break it up best you can with the pinch, and then shove the shovel down and wiggle it about to get as much clay as possible to stick to it (it sticks like sh*t to a blanket). Then lift it straight up out the hole and scrape the clay off. It's slow and laborious, but it works. It's been very dry recently so if the clay is not sticking then pour a SMALL amount of water into the hole to help the process. I can easily dig a 4 foot hole not much wider than the blade of the shovel using this method.

*Pinch or pinch bar - a long straight heavy steel round bar, used by fencers to make a hole for stabs and fence posts. Name might vary from area to area, but that's what they're called here.

Perfect yep exactly that couple of feet of easy to deal with soil and then clay !
Thanks for the advice will see how I get on.



The tool I referred to earlier looks like two of them hinged together, so you pull the handles apart and lift the soil out.