What to backfill with?

[James Howard]

I’ve recently had to dig out next to my house because there were holes within the mortar letting water into the sub floor of the house. I’ve now re-pointed all the brickwork but was wandering what to put back into the trench I’ve dug? Hopefully the picture I’ve attached shows what I’ve done.
It was originally a mixture of soil and heavy clay, and the footings are sat on heavy clay. Would it be best to put in stone instead of the old clay/soil?

Also is it ok for ground water to be sat on the clay next to the house brickwork/footings, as it’s a very dense clay area the ground water doesn’t appear to soak away, it just sits at the base of the trench.

 

[Newboy]

Now you've gone to the trouble of digging out, can you not install a drain?

 

[James Howard]

Yes I was also thinking that, but because my trench is lower than all my rainwater drainage I’d have to extend the trench into my back garden to then direct the drained water there, and because everything is heavy clay the water still wouldn’t go anywhere, and I’ve read it pointless putting a soak away in a heavy clay area. But I suppose it’s better sat in the garden than against my house!