Roadside Hedge Replacement in Salcombe

This project involved the complete removal and replacement of a long roadside boundary hedge at a property in Salcombe. The existing hedge had become severely overgrown, encroaching onto the road and pavement, blocking sightlines and making the boundary look neglected. The client wanted it gone and replaced with something fresh, tidy and low-maintenance.

The Problem

The old hedge had been left untended for some time and had grown well beyond the boundary line. It was thick, tangled and pushing out over the road - a common problem along Devon's narrow lanes where hedges can quickly become a hazard if left unchecked. The roots had also established heavily into the raised bank above a stone retaining wall, making removal a bigger job than a simple hedge trim.

Stage 1: Full Removal

We started by cutting the hedge back to its stumps and clearing the bulk of the growth. This was done carefully, working along the roadside with cones and signage in place for safety. All of the green waste was loaded into bulk bags on site and taken to Wildwoods Contractors for composting - nothing went to landfill.

Once the vegetation was stripped back, we could see the full extent of the bank and the old stone wall beneath. The root systems were dug out and the bank was cleared right down to bare earth, giving us a clean slate to work with.

It was a solid couple of days' work getting everything stripped out and cleared. The amount of material that came out of this hedge was impressive - several trailer loads of green waste in total.

Stage 2: Preparing for New Planting

With everything cleared, we prepared the ground for the new hedge. The bank was tidied up and the soil loosened where needed. We chose Griselinia littoralis for the replacement - a fantastic evergreen hedging plant that thrives in Devon's mild, maritime climate. It's fast-growing, tolerant of coastal winds, and produces a dense, bright green screen that looks smart all year round.

The new plants arrived on pallets - good-sized specimens that would establish quickly and start filling out within the first season.

Stage 3: Planting

We planted the Griselinia along the full length of the boundary, spaced evenly to allow them to knit together as they grow. Each plant was properly heeled in, watered well and mulched to help retain moisture during establishment.

The difference was immediate - even before the plants had a chance to grow, the boundary looked transformed. Clean, tidy, and properly defined against the road.

The Result

A few months on and the Griselinia is establishing beautifully. The plants have put on good growth and are already starting to fill out into a proper hedge line. Within another season or two, this will be a dense, lush green boundary that the client won't need to worry about for years to come - just an annual trim to keep it in shape.

Why Griselinia?

We recommend Griselinia for a lot of hedging work across South Devon. It handles salt-laden coastal air well, grows quickly to form a thick screen, keeps its leaves year-round, and has a naturally tidy habit that means less pruning than something like laurel or leylandii. For a roadside boundary in Salcombe, it was the obvious choice.

If you've got an overgrown or tired hedge that needs replacing, we can handle the full process - removal, waste disposal, ground preparation and new planting. We work across Salcombe, Kingsbridge, Dartmouth and the wider South Hams area.