strong weedkillers [Roundup types with glyphosphate in them] may be your best option really. many weed killers become 'harmless' to the soil on contact. Only damaging what plant material they touch. do you have any younger family members that can be bribed into helping dig things out? certainly strimming the weeds you mention will only remove the top growth. they will regrow ever thicker I am afraid.

welcome to GoY too, hope you enjoy the site.

@ Seaburngirl thank you for your reply! So nice to be able to do this and get some help. I understand about the regrowth problem but I had no option it was as high as myself! I had to get as much away as I could to see what was underneath. So do weedkillers work on what's left? Do you have to have leaf or growth to put it on? And how soon after putting it on can you plant. I want that area to look a bit wild.(but not with weeds) I love primroses and wildflowers. I love wild poppys. I grow a lot in pots and planters so was able to take loads with me and now I'd like to be able to grow all that up in this area. However I'm frightened the root systems might be too deep and destroy what I do. I live far away from my family and am a bit of a recluse thus no help. I'm afraid I lost faith in people years ago when my husband passed away. Long story!

If you want to use glyphosate, it needs to be applied to actively growing foliage to work, and isn't particularly effective on woody based ivy and other woody plants.

Were there any woody based plants like brambles on the bank?

Hi any new foliage that grows leave for a week then spray with the glyphosate it will take it down and kill the roots. any woody stems need treating with something like sbk brush wood killer, used neat on the cut ends. You may need to do several applications but little and often does work. Many of your spring plants would be better left in the pots until you have the weeds under control.

I have a bank that was like this and I tackled it a bit at a time, starting with one end of the top so I didn't have to keep climbing up to strim it. I put Ericas and a couple of Wiri series Hebes up there and the heathers have now grown together and made it quite weed free. On the front face I have a rampant campanula that hangs down and covers it. I also moved some Japanese anemones - the common thuggish ones, onto another cleared area at the top and they are spreading nicely - they can always come out again if I'm ever ready to do something better with the space. Keep it labour saving, none of us is getting any younger!

If you don't want to use weedkiller use patience instead and do it gradually. Or you could weedkiller a yard or so at a time and plant up the cleared bit, which is a lot easier and less demanding than trying to tackle it all at once

Thanks everyone. I'll take on board all your good advice.
@Steragram You're right, a bit at a time. I get very enthusiastic and want to get on with it, done and dusted and this is with everything. I think this project has been given to me to teach me patience.
@Bamboo actually and fortunately no brambles! They are trying from next garden to invade but I'm keeping a close eye and will not let that happen. I just think that whatever was there became a bit too strong probably over many years. The roots are tough and zygomatic ( I think that's the correct term) but I have managed to follow a few through to their ends. So I think it WILL take time and patience and small chunks often. I'll keep you posted.

oh yes please do keep us up to date. it would make a good series of blogs if you fancy doing them. Photos of before and after always impress me :o)