2/3rds of my lawn looks dead.

Yes we are having a drought in Norfolk, but why part of your lawn? There appears to be some healthy looking green too. Does that dried up part get more sun?Also that dried up stuff would be tempting to lots of animals for their nests, such as hedgehogs, mice, squirrels etc. Looks as though you'll need to replace it with seed.What a shame.

Why dont you rake it over and top dress it? Prolonged rain is what we all need for lawns. Not sure why you can lift it though?

I would give it a good soaking and see what happens in a couple of days

Any amount of watering will not fix this till we have prolonged rain.

Get a sprinkler on it, every day, for a minimum of an hour each day, after the sun is off the grass. It might recover.

There is a new blog (29th) from Wagger about some kind of grub which is destroying lawns, especially on sandy soils. Maybe a clue here Harty.

From my blog today, Harty. The culprit is the chafer beatle larvae – they feed on the grass roots and birds, foxes and badgers rip up the loose turf to get at the grubs. They are BIG and can live in the soil (sandy soil preferred) for up to three years.

Whats your neihbours lawns like Harty they may be able to help?