im afraid its elbow grease time . you could get a big sack of central heating salt and apply liberaly but you wont be able to grow anything there for a while .

I think Roundup (glyphosate) should deal with it. It might take time and a several treatments though. If you feel you can splash out then I would invest in a bottle of 'Kurtail',(have a look at their website), if you try to dig, the roots will break off and it will keep coming back.

Thanks very much for the idea Noseypotter

Thanks Jimmytheone OH suggested Roundup... I've not heard of Kurtail, but think I'll investigate the website first like you suggest.

your welcome peta

Oh what a nightmare, I'm feeling tired just thinking about it... I've had to deal with situations like this more times than I care to think about, and the most successful and quickest does, indeed, involve a lot of backbreaking and painstaking work. First, I'd cut back all long growths to ground level - then you dig, and you will find roots that you cannot get out. You dig down the root a spade's depth, cut it off so the top is horizontal, slash into it, or if its small, make a cross with secateurs in the top, or, if its big enough, drill into it, and apply neat SBK, sparingly so it doesn't spill into the ground, cover with an upturned pot, replace the soil and move onto the next patch. Depending on how many roots are left in the ground treated in this way, you can in fact plant in between, provided you haven't had an accident with the SBK or used it too liberally. SBK brushwood killer is the one to use - I found spraying with glyphosate ineffectual and too slow - when you're doing someone else's garden, you can't put off planting for 3 years till the ivy's definitely gone, if it goes at all, I'm not convinced it does with glyphosate.

If you do use Glyphosate then you need to add a little liquid soap to the mix to make it adhere to the leaves.
The whole of our 1 acre garden would be ivy if we did not remove all the seedlings. Have to say I have never had any problems with the big roots resprouting as long as you dig down far enough.

Whichever method you go for you are going to have to collect up the dead stuff, so I would pull as much as you can off before you start.Then you can see what you're doing. The long trails come off surprisingly easily quite often. If you plan to dispose of them in the council tip don't leave them for long in the car as they make it smell really bad and it takes ages for the smell to disappear again. We found all sorts of things under ours including a wheelbarrow a traffic cone and a rotary clothes line.

Thanks Bamboo, Owdboggy and Steragram for all the hints and tips...:o) I have managed to clear the Ivy that was growing out of the stone wall but realise that I will need to keep a check on it, incase it starts to grow back. I think I'll have to have a go at both digging and spraying to get rid of it...! Thanks again everyone - it's been very helpful talking to you all about this little(?) problem!