I like that idea!

My God, you have a wood at the bottom of your garden!

How about a goat?

Hows about building a timber boardwalk weaving around the plot then finishing at a point where it gets the sun late in the day where it would be wider to accomodate table and chairs.You could cover the area in cheap gravel/pebbles in various grades heaping it against the boardwalks legs making it look like a longtime dried up river bed then plant ornamental grasses to complete the look.An old life buoy attached to a post would add a bit of intrest.

The boardwalk could be contructed from old (and cheap) scaffolding planks which i think would look fantastic as there already weathered so would have an old time look from day one.Or if you wanted them to have a sun kissed effect you simply scrub household bleach onto the timber and that will lighten the wood.

Blooming heck Steve thats is not far off one of the things I was just going to suggest...honest. Great minds again.

But other thoughts......(apart from wishing it was mine)

Get rid of any glass you can see/find anything else dangerous and then use the bricks you have for either hardcore or make a raised bed or two or even edge a path. Then cover the whole with either a good weed killer and then good quality membrane and then tonnes of cheap gravel and or put a half barel or five (odd numbers always look better when gardening think 1 -3 -5 etc not even numbers for interest or just leave the gravel. If you are goig to keep chickens then don't use the weedkiller. See where catches the sun at the time you would use it and the utilise some of the space by haing some decking using old scaffold planks etc for a sitting area.
Or
Do you garden in general Azz if so use part of the area for compost.....nothing more satisfying than your own compost area like that would be great.

Other than that leave it to wildlife ie remove as much rubbish glass etc as you can then strim it right down do an area at a time....and then either plant/sow wildflowers like a meadow that then would need strimming down every year or so.
Or
Maybe use the area as I said for compost and maybe Bee's too? Ever thought of Bee keeping or offering it to someone to keep bees on and you could chop out areas and place stepping stones so you have access.......put up either bird feeders and or bat boxes and hedghog boxes and maybe dig out a small shallow pond for wildlife and see what happens.
Or
There has to be good soil if it was a veg garden so why not look at it in that way working on small blocks within the whole making it easier to achieve and work on rather than the whole ting at once much more do-able.
Options abound.

How quick do you want it done.
Do a plan on paper first.
list the features you would like to have.
What can be done now.
What can be added later.
Divide up into quarters or even smaller and tackle one piece at a time.
Its the big space thats daunting.
Break it up and you can face it.
Put the bricks into a proper stack until you need them.
Steve and Kazz are on the money, but gravel and scaffold boards are spends you might not need once you can get sorted a bit.

If it were me I'd certainly be digging out those bricks, even if you don't want them you'd be able to sell them if they're in good nick, reclaimed bricks can get a good price.

I'd also say get chickens, great fun and reasonably easy to keep, only downside is intial set up cost and getting someone to see to them when you go away.

But you could also get one of these. http://www.bbqlodges.co.uk/ On my " want one " list.

I agree save the bricks stack them reuse them even the brokn ones can be used for hardcore............

Excellent idea.

Great ideas guys! I will be saving this thread for future reference

We still have the house to finish off yet, but as I've been chopping down those Laylandii I sort of got into the spirit of things

I really like the idea of decking, especially at the end as that would be lovely in the summer (as it overlooks the river). So maybe that and a timber boardwalk and the rest can be potted plants to hide the rubble (although I was hoping for something dog friendly).

I guess it's all dreams yet - will have to win the lottery first

Thanks again for all your help - I'd never have thought of half of what you've posted

How about kennels and a run, you could help out a rescue organisation