Ivy and Hedges.

I know others who know about these things say ivy doesn't harm the tree or hedge it is growing on and the fact that the tree or hedge plant it is growing on dies is just old age, I don't believe a word of it.  I hate ivy with a passion, I have seen too many healthy trees die when they have become covered with the hideous creeping stuff.  I have just spent the greater part of the day cutting through the stuff before it manages to kill the whole of the hedge that runs alongside of my orchard.  The hedge is large and overgrown due to over twenty years neglect, there is a drainage ditch on the other side between our plot and our neighbour.  In England if the hedge is on my side the ditch is mine and it is my responsibility to keep it clear and running.  Last weekend there was water running down the orchard and onto our patio, the top of the ditch was blocked.  I cleared the ditch enough to stop the water running over the side but looking at the task of cleaning it out I quickly came to the conclusion that I had to tidy the hedge first before I could start ditching.  So today I started siding the hedge and cutting the ivy clear.  I decided that if I trim both sides of the hedge and kill the ivy that is overgrowing the hedge in places then keep the hedge bottom clean during the summer months I will get a better idea of how much of the old hedge is still living.  Once I have established how much is still alive despite the best efforts of the ivy I will have a better idea of how to proceed.  My aim is to establish a good hedge of about seven feet tall between us and our neighbour.  The hedge must be trimmed every year and not allowed to overgrow the ditch.  A good hedge at this height will maintain privacy for both of us and if I keep it back off the ditch I will be able to keep it clear easily enough.  Once everything is in order it should only take me four or five hours a year with a shovel to keep the ditch in good order.
 I hope to dig a pond at the top of the orchard, in front of the oak tree in the corner and divert the ditch through the pond, it should attract a lot of wildlife if I do it correctly.  We already have a number of frogs living it the orchard and I'm sure they will appreciate my efforts, but that's for the future and first I must get the hedge and ditch in good order.  It's dark now but tomorrow I will take some pictures of the ivy and hedge to add to this post so readers will see what I am grumbling about.