Need help cutting down noise pollution, please.

[frisbyrat]

C 'n' P from the Gardening topic...
We're just about to buy our dream house, but it's on a major road (the South Circular, if I'm honest. We must be mad). What's going to be the best way to block out some of the noise and pollution? I thought maybe a hedge of something thick and fast-growing, that won't mind the clay soil. Privet (seems to do well here)? Laurel? I'd love yew, but it needs to be fast growing, as there's nothing there at the moment.
I read somewhere that broad leaves cut out more sound than thin ones, or I'd be tempted by leylandii. Or maybe just a 5/6 foot brick wall would be best... I had intended a low wall, topped with iron railings, with the hedge behind it.

And has anyone got an opinion about whether it's better to get double-glazing or secondary glazing? We had been intending to get the latter, but someone just put a brick through our house-to-be's window (yup, a really nice bit of South London , so I'm caring less about preserving original Victorian windows right now...
Any ideas, please?

If you are wanting to cut down on noise, then a hedge will not make much difference (althugh it will abosrb some fo the pollution).

My parents have a beech hedge between their house and the road and really makes no difference.

Best solution would probably be a wall plus a hedge.

No, a hedge makes very little difference to noise levels. There are some research figures on the web if you hunt around.

A wall would work better, or there are special designs of fence you can get which are supposed to reduce sound, but I don't know if they do actually work.

Don't forget to check the planning regulations vis a vis fence / wall at the front of your house. I can't remember what the maximum height is.

You'll also run into problems with your gate - unless that's high as well, it lets sound in.

On the other hand, yew is actually not slow growing, despite what people think. Nothing will grow as fast as leylandii, but that is a problem as well as a benefit unless you like trimming hedges.

Secondary glazing is considerably less efficient than double glazing, alas. If you've got the cash, you can get very 'realistic' looking double glazing, though - worth it for the front of the house?

Thank you for the replies, everyone.