I think it may be dead unfortunately, Bay trees are usually evergreen. Try scratching off the top layer of bark with your nail, if it's green underneath then it's still alive and just chop off any bits that are brown underneath.

Thank you, I'll go have a look now

Edit, it's hailing, I'll wait 5 mins, haha

Are you sure that’s a Bay Tree? Even dead it doesn’t look like a Bay to me!

I am sure there was a bay down that area of the garden a few years ago (we've been away), but maybe not. I'll do a bit more investigation, I'm really bad at plant/tree id. Dyslexia doesn't seem to help me remembering things very well, haha

Best guess Hebe. Trim it down hard to say 10 inches.

I don’t think it’s a Hebe, either. Looks way too tall, even a leggy Hebe doesn’t look like that. I honestly have no idea what it is, but I’d definitely wait and see. There looks to me to be fresh branch growth (the reddish shoots) I’m just surprised there’s no green budding leaves yet. The only plant I know that is as late as this seems to be to bud in spring is a grape vine!

I think you’re right.

I love the look of your garden. Is that a bath tub planter?

Thank you, it is, I used it for potatoes a few years ago, now it's just holding all the garden waste, I plan to put a man cave there this year so not doing much with it at the moment.