Where to plant ivy on bank?

As one result of a long chain of consequences of our having a new flowerbed dug, we now have a 90 foot long steep bank about 5feet high running down to the neighbouring field and stock fence. (It was covered in stones before and we just sprayed weedkiller on it every now and then.) Now it is covered in good soil but we need to get some ground cover on it quickly before it is smothered with thistles, nettles and docks! We don't actually see it from the house or even the garden until we are right on top of it looking down, so beauty is not of the utmost importance. We're thinking of ground cover shrubs, including ivy, and my question is, where should I actually plant the ivy, which is of course basically a climber. Should it go at the bottom of the bank to climb up, or the top of the bank to scramble down, or the middle of bank to go both ways? The bank faces west and is in full sun for most of the day.

 

You could also use Vinca major, Pachysandra terminalis, Cotoneaster horizontallis and Ceanothus repens.

 

Thanks, Andy, that's what I'll do.
Thanks, Dai - for some unaccountable reason vinca doesn't like it here, ceanothus doesn't last long (too exposed and too cold in winter), this cotoneaster grows higher than we'd like in this location, and I'm going to look up pachysandra because I haven't come across it before!