We have 2 climbing roses (Handel and Spanish Beauty) which have been
slightly neglected in terms of pruning. Now, all of the new shoots are too
high up and all the flowers appear at the top of the climbers, with next to
nothing lower down.

My question is, can the roses be cut right back (to say half their size),
thereby cutting into the main stems. There ARE some shoots coming out of the
main stems below where we proposed to cut it back, but very few. The Handel
rose, has practically no lateral shoots lower down.

Can the climber be cut almost back to the ground, or would that kill it.

We have looked in books, but pruning instructions of climbers are always
restricted to pruning of lateral shoots. There is nothing about cutting hard
back.

Any help would be appreciated.

TIA

Martin