this is just a guess but if your hedge is very old it mite just of had its day as everything does . it looks terrible . have you fed it ? whats the other side as it looks potentialy as bad both sides so its maybe not your fault unless both sides belong to you . like i say just a guess . ps the grass doesnt look grea either unless thats wear you walk a lot down there .

We have only lived here a few years so I have no idea how long it has been their. We have also had a bad winter with lots of snow here which is when we started to notice a difference. The grass isn't looking its best their as we have been using it as a walk way. We always keep on top of keeping the hedge tidy and looked after unlike the neighbour the other side which I believe I have never seen them do anything to their side. I think you maybe right that it may have just had its time.

I have a neighbour who has had similar problems. I seem to remember that it is a fungal disease which attacks old privet. If you have any healthy parts and don't remove the infected bits it will eventually kill the lot. All I can suggest is that you dig out any diseased bushes and *burn* them, do not compost them for goodness sake. Once you are sure the patches that are left are O.K. then plant in new bushes.

Are you positive its privet? It possibly looks more like lonicera from the last photo. Can you put on a closer photo of a small area showing a better picture of the leaves?

Steragram has written what I was going to say. It looks like Lonicera nitida to me. In my experience they regrow quite quickly if you cut them back hard.

Privet leaves are about an inch or so long.

I think Lonicera nitida too.

Privets dont look like that i agree with Steragram and Beattie and Scottish...The leaves are quite different to whats in your picture..
...By the looks of it it looks like old age..
Its very unusual for that type of hedge to die like that if it was new...It looks as if it has been there for about 20 years plus

im going give myself a pat on the back as that was a guess lol . a plantsmen im not lol xx .

Isn't it great when we all agree? So just cut it back really hard and it will renew itself quite quickly.

it is steragram xx .

Even I agree now that I've actually looked at the pictures instead of just reading the text. Sarra hastily posts a blushing smiley.

lol xxx