it is blackthorn a native shrub that goes on to produce sloes in the autumn.
it is a lovely plant but it has vicious thorns so be careful when pruning etc..

Thank you Seaburngirl! Appreciate your feedback.
I can now look up some more info, I'll take your advice on this. Just wish I could see an abundance of blossoms on it..always sparse!

If its blackthorn keep a sharp lookout for suckers. We have a lot of it on our boundary banks and it pops up everywhere.
Honestly I would replace it as you don't get the blossom you want either. Blackthorn has sharp thorns too so be careful.

Hi Sue, thank you for your advice. There are a few growing up on the hill/slope area. The house builder planted several different shrubs just before we moved in. As far as I am aware, our land reaches the apex. We have all added to the almost vertical hill. One neighbour has managed to incorporate greenhouse!
It's a pity, I agree it's pretty harmful to get close to and the blossoms are so sparse.

Its a splendid field edging shrub round here and the lanes have been white with it - more prolific than hawthorn in this area. But I get fed up with it in the garden as it pops up everywhere.

I think I recall you asking about that slope some years ago. Interestingly round here many of the boundaries are marked by banks (like in Devon) and I had reason to ask about where they run not long ago, and yes its normally along the top of the bank. (Our neighbour wants us to be responsible for trimming our dividing bank on his side as well as ours...