Answer
It all depends on how much you have to do, and how valuable you consider your time. The cheap way: axe, garden saw ( coarse teeth), pickaxe spade etc, and an awful lot of HARD WORK. The easy way: hire a small excavator from your local Homebase, garden centre etc. and have a fun weekend, digging stuff out and filling a skip or two. ( Hippo bags might be cheaper - check the costs). With an excavator, you will probably get lots of offers of help from friends (male). Best of luck, and enjoy !