This it what I came across this morning!

Bloomin' big roots, probably from the nearby camelia bushes. But they were not going to defeat me. With some help from Ken, the pruning saw and a couple of other "aids" we managed to get rid of as much as we could so now I can think about what to put in this nice sunny north facing position. Last year the sweet peas did well, but they grew all over the place. Maybe we will put some trellis up and train their wandering ways.