Dead tree in hawthorn hedge

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I have a very old hawthorn hedge at the front of my house. One tree has died, others around it appear to be unaffected. Can anybody advise how best to repair the hedge. I can't dig a planting hole of any size due to existing roots.

Will try to add photos.

With thanks for any and all advice.

 

When I moved house three and a half years ago, there was a hawthorn hedge, with a small wood along side it. We cut the wood down and found a very bald hawthorn with several gaps. No sunlight meant no growth.

To fill the gaps, I let adjacent branches grow and rather than trimming them, wove them into the existing hedge; assisting with some garden twine if they didn't want to stay in place. As more twigs and branches grew, they were also woven into the existing hedge. It gradually filled itself in.

I'll see if I've got any before and after pictures.

 

Thank you for your reply. Would be keen to see your pictures.

Reluctant to have the dead trunk removed as that will make the hole more obvious. The photos I have posted are after a summer of growth from the dead trees neighbours.

 

This is the best I can find. 2021 with lots of gaps and a dead section. June '21 with some leaves growing and April '24 looking much more healthy.

 

Wow! I'm struggling to line the photos up, it's looking great now though.

 

The back left corner of the lawn, is approximately the same location as the big tree that was cut down.

 

I used the dead branches as "scaffolding" to support the new branches as they grew, helping to hold them in place, or giving me something to tie onto.

 

I was probably wrong to clip off the smaller dead branches last year when I first noticed it had died.

Likely I could find space to get a small plant in the soil and then give it and the neighbouring trees a few years to fill in the gap.

 

Hawthorn seeds very easily round here. If you look, you'd possibly find a few bits and pieces which you can then pot up, and plant in the gaps at a later date.
It's a very easy hedging plant in the right conditions, and doesn't require a lot of help, but if you do have any seedlings available to plant, just prep the gap a bit first with some compost or any organic matter you have. You can also collect berries to propagate. If you have any fields nearby, you'll probably find some available at this time of year.
It grows in any aspect, which is why it's ideal as stock hedging, as well as in a domestic setting.

 

Not only does hawthorn grow readily from seed; cuttings root easily and if taken now would have rooted by next April/May.

 

I have hundreds of seedlings all over the place here @NigelJ. I've grown one good specimen on for either adding to a gap at the back of the boundary, or I may just add it to the boundary hedge.
If I use a bit of garden soil in trays/pots for cuttings or seed sowing, I get loads of hawthorn appearing before anything else. I have one just now that's almost covering the surface of the container

 

I had gaps in mine and just let side branches on the gap sides grow then intertwine them wearing gloves of course and a baseball type cap or something to protect your face from scratches speaking from experience.

 

Thank you all for your replies. There are lots of hawthorn in the area so I will take a look.