I agree with Sara 4. Ilex can be pruned back hard so you can renovate them, so to speak. Best time to do that would be July and August. If you want to lower the height, that's also possible.
But you are right, you'd be looking at an almost bare trunk for quite a while even though it will start growing new shoots after it has been pruned. So, it's up to you.
To renovate or to eliminate... that's the question
Hmm, not sure thecatsfather will be willing to prune (he'd have to saw the main trunk which is about 6 or 7 inches diameter - don't think my arms are up to sawing something that thick), plus the many tip trips it would take.... May get a tree surgeon round to take a look. If he can saw it off and winch it away over the hedge that might be easier . We have a huge tree (ash) on our boundary which probably needs some lopping too, so not just that to look at. Thanks for the advice
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I agree with Sara 4. Ilex can be pruned back hard so you can renovate them, so to speak. Best time to do that would be July and August. If you want to lower the height, that's also possible.
But you are right, you'd be looking at an almost bare trunk for quite a while even though it will start growing new shoots after it has been pruned. So, it's up to you.
To renovate or to eliminate... that's the question
Hmm, not sure thecatsfather will be willing to prune
(he'd have to saw the main trunk which is about 6 or 7 inches diameter - don't think my arms are up to sawing something that thick), plus the many tip trips it would take.... May get a tree surgeon round to take a look. If he can saw it off and winch it away over the hedge that might be easier 
. We have a huge tree (ash) on our boundary which probably needs some lopping too, so not just that to look at. Thanks for the advice