[compostqueen]

At least if you have a hedge there is always something to see in it 

[Suaz]

Thank you all for your replies! I've opted for the hedged plot as it had a much nicer 'feel' to it. Here are a few photos. The first one is of the 2nd hedgerow, the one which is to be found two-thirds of the way into the plot. It's about 2m high at its highest point. Ideally I'd like to move it to the back border of the plot. If that proves difficult, then I could remove the two biggest plants to create a larger gap in the middle to pass through. The hedge on the southern border of the plot is a mixed one and includes the two plants in the last two photos. Can anyone tell me what they are? The conical one looks like a Leylandi to me.

[Rampant_Weasel]

my garden has a laurel hedge and it is always full of wasps, which are a major aphid predator - much more useful than a fence
would probably remove the conifer tho as it has shallow spreading roots that really dry the soil.