Struggling Bay Tree

Hello! I've had this Bay since this April, and it seems not to be thriving - all the bays I pass in other people's gardens seem to have been busily shooting out new growth. Mine has has no obvious new growth and the leaves are a bit dull in colour, or browning. My questions are:

1 - am I over watering?

2 - am I under watering? I think it got pretty scorched in the recent UK heatwave.

3 - is it in too small a pot? (About 40cm diameter)

4 - is it in too much sun? (Pretty much full from late morning)

I'm a beginner gardener, so do feel free to patronise me! Thanks so much in advance for any help and advice.

 

I agree with the above, while it is dry, you may be able to lift it clear of the pot to see if it is rootbound.
I would go further and suggest that you stand the pot in a larger container, saucer or washing up bowl and fill with water to stand overnight . Ideally a bucket so that you saturate to the point that bubbles of air rise above the water.#
Remove next morning and allow to drain. Repeat at intervals, twice a week and watch to see if it brightens up. Once you have signs of recovery, add liquid fertiliser to the drench. Please report progress.

 

Excellent, thanks so much to both of you for your advice! I've shifted to a slightly shadier side of the yard and will try your water bath suggestion, Infradig. I'm planning on shifting to a much larger pot soon, in any case. I shall keep you updated on progress.

Thanks again!

 

A further thought. If you remove the rootball from the pot, have a look for possible vine weevil grubs*. Unfortunately these are (too) often found in nursery stock, from even the best garden centres!
* Vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) identification guide