I think you might have intended to attach photographs - but they are not present. Can you try again?

Bamboo, I can see the photos. If anyone else has a problem, please let me know.

They're present now - at first, there was only a short description of 2 photographs. I think the site's playing up a bit today, it crashed when I was on a bit earlier.
Can I ask when this flowers, and does it just have one major flush and then that's it, or is it repeat flowering?

It has one major flush around July/August. It is completely covered with small, red rose like flowers. What is shown in the photo, is what is left once the main bloom is over.

I'm wondering if its Excelsa - if there's no fragrance to the flowers, it might be that because its usually grafted onto a standard in this way. Obviously you can't prune past the graft point at the top of the standard stem, but practice with this one is to, in theory, remove all flowered shoots back to the graft and reduce by a third the other brances. In practice, that probably means you lose too much wood, so trim back the flowered shoots by half and then reshape the rest.
Sorry, just altered this - meant to say you CAN'T prune past the graft point, missed the apostrophe and t off...

Thanks, Bamboo. Looking at some images on Google, it certainly could be Exclesa.

What threw me with this was the girth of the stem. It is thick and very gnarled. In truth, I have never even noticed the graft at the top.

Good job you've never hacked back past it then, lol!

First cut out the dead shoots, right back to any healthy part. Then cut out 2 or 3 of the oldest shoots, then tidy up the rest to give a nice rounded shape. Give it a good feed and mulch in spring.

Thanks, Volunteer. Pruning in Autumn/Winter or Spring?

Now - should be done in September if it is Excelsa, its a rambler.

Thanks, Bamboo. I was wondering what to do tomorrow (or whenever it is not raining!).

It looks very like my Rose Excelsa.

Good enough. It goes in my log as a Rose Excelsa!

Well, tried to follow your advice chaps and this is what we have left. Took away loads of old wood and tried to get back to the best of the newer wood. We'll see how it performs next year. This is the first year that I have pruned this rose and I have lived here for 10 years.

I also removed the stake, straightened and drove it back into the ground. That was hard as there was about 18" under ground. The shoulders are aching!

I have added the 'after pruning' image above.

Good Lord, you've certainly been rigorous with it - you may not get any flowers next year....