Only thing to do is keep removing... you will also need to dig the ground over as it will have been compacted by the weight of the water. Might have been easier just to leave the pond in place.

Thank you

Now I have a pond and I too was going to take it out and use the shape as a bed but I believe there is probably builders sand underneath it also. My first idea was to fill the existing pond with soil and have a raised bed but I've been sort of persuaded against this idea by my parents. Can the sand not be dug over and mixed with the soil underneath and extra on top? I don't know if this is the right thing to do?

Hi Suzy I would expect you to find builders sand under the pond it is used to level the surface of the ground and to act as a cushion. Filling the existing pond with soil and creating a raised be is not going to work unless you make a lot of holes in the pond liner... if you don't you will end up with a rather smelly bog. Builders sand tends to be 'soft' sand and has elements in it which are not good in soil you are growing plants in. However, if you are adding a deep enough layer of top soil and organic matter/compost it might just work.

Thanks Moon growe I'll have to have a think about what I'm going to do...

Ask previous owner where the sand came from ?.

If its river sand it would be alright to have a dry plants bed for the summer months.
If it was sea sand it will contain salt which kills plants.

Thank you all, am still pondering!

It 'shouldn't' be river sand... not legal to remove.

Thinking now of maybe scraping as much of sandy soil that I can't remove to one side and making that into a rock garden. Then planting in clearer side? What plants might survive in soil and some sand? Or maybe I could sink them in their pots?

Is builder's sand. thinking now of scraping as much as I can of contaminated soil to one side and making that into a rock garden then planting into rest. This could still have some sand in it so any suggestions for plants that may survive or maybe I could sink them in their pots?

Rock garden plants wont take kindly to builders sand - sorry.

thanks Moon growe but I meant just nice rocks not plants

So what are you planning?