might possibly be sloe (blackthorn) not 100% though

If it is sloe there will be rudy great thorns on the stems!

I think it's blackthorn, it's got little buds on the thorns which is characteristic. Nice to have a good picture to look at and one which isn't sideways!

I didn't think it was quite right for blackthorn (ours don't produce those long rather spindly new shoots) but if it is that explains why it crops up everywhere because it suckers like there's no tomorrow.

Really appreciate your help, thank you. They are going, my dad whilst clearing a blackthorn hedge got one of those thorns in his finger. He couldn't bend it for about 6 months and it has still affected his hand now. They are lethal, due to the toxins. So watch out if you do have them.

blackthorn is sloe. sloes are the berries.
and mine do look just like this. :o)

Mine must be undernourished then - probably are as they live at the top of a dry bank. Puzzled that they can be lethal though - been scratched lots of times and had sloe gin and not died yet?

Funny stuff, blackthorn. I've researched it a lot and there's no reason why blackthorn thorns should cause problems and yet, they do. There are no toxins or poisons listed which might remain on the thorns, but they cause so much pain! I've laid a few hedges with some of the work I do, and although it's one of the best stock barriers, it ain't friendly, and inevitably bites back at you. Interesting stuff. The walking sticks I've made from blackthorn are superb to polish up with linseed, and are as strong as steel.

Do a google search for blackthorn injury and you'll see it come up. It went through 2 pairs of gloves first so just treat with care if you do ever do anything with them. But enjoy the sloe gin too

mmm... reminds me of times long ago, when the then OH and I (enthusiastic young "Good-Life"-rs at the time) were clearing our first country garden for an eventual veg plot: every time we bent over to dig, we seemed to get prodded from behind by the wretched blackthorn spikes... didn't do much sitting down for those few weeks!

Bulba's father used to gather the sloes and a couple of the thorns and use the thorns to prick the sloes before putting them in a large container and filling with cheap gin.

Ahhh. Sloe gin. Like a rich medicinal linctus. Good for colds because you sort of forget you've got one!

lol Worthy!