I was just out "harvesting" some compost, Boggy. I've got some potted tomato plants in the yard now .
My 2 "piles" in the yard aren't piled at all. They are both shallow pits (about 8" deep) under the decks in front of the greenhouse and the one in front of the chicken coop. I hope there's more under the one I didn't check.
What was so high that it pushed up against the boards last year, was a depression. The compost couldn't have been more like rich soil except I found a rubber band and about a million earth worms! Also, found enuf good soil to mix with some peat moss & perlite for the tomato plants .