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I wondered if there might be a reason for that.
@HatBeard I'd say live with it for a bit just to see. Also to work out where the sun moves, how wet the ground is etc.
I mean with all due respect to your predecessors, they don't look like gardeners. But still there may be a reason they isn't immediately obvious or obvious from pics.
how much work would i be looking at realistically
Two non-intense weekends would be my guess. A day to carefully remove the angle step and measure up/prep for laying the step. A day to get the things you didn't know you needed and put 99% of it down. Next weekend to tidy/snagging and oil it.
That's conservative but if it's been there a while removing it carefully so you can reuse it and minimise costs always takes longer than just smashing stuff out.
Get a couple of big fuck off hooks and screw them into the facing sides of the posts, not quite at the top, hang a hammock between them, lay in hammock, thank me later.
As for the weird step? I’ve a feeling there’s an old pond or random concrete slab under there. Hope I’m wrong.