Hi Jonathan, I tend to cut back all the long growth like you but if I need to take off more so that i don't get 'stabbed' I would suggest no more than a third of the growth per year after flowering so that you still get plenty of berries, do it evenly and you probably won't notice the old wood

But isn't it the case that I am going to end up with a bigger and bigger bush each year that way? And I don't want it to ever become any bigger than it is now.

Treat it like a vertical hedge. You could also try pruning one side harder than the other and then switching the next year. Try to keep it within bounds as a mammoth bush is tricky...and prickly!

to big a plant for hte place you hav it - dig it up an plant sumthin eesier to deel with

good point Derek mines away from the house and I cut back all the growth thats in the wrong place and its often the new growth or just into the old wood, if you do it when you can see where the berries are you can try not to remove too much but it can be a 'pain' in more ways than one :~0

Jonathan I think the problem is you did not cut it back early enough but waited until it was the size you wanted. Now it is going to get too big for its boots. I agree with Derekf heave it out and put in something else.

So in other words, I cannot keep it at this sort of size and achieve berries on it also. I am reluctant to say goodbye to it. I wonder if I can give it an 'extremely' hard pruning, and let it regrow from there?

you reely wantto be prunin this thing every yeer becos you have to?

theers a garden maxim = the corect plnt in hte corect place

sound advise alway worht listen to

Jonathan i'd have a go they seem to be strong growers, you probably won't get berries for a year but a small price to pay if it ends up what you want, if it dies so be it and plant something else at least you will have tried

Nothing has come to mind yet definitely as a suitablle alternative to replace it with. Possiblty a Daphne.

personaly, i plant 2 clematis - one flower in summer and one in autum

Sounds like good advice Derekf

thank mg- john say disability- clematis eesy to prune

Agreed and pyracantha isn't. There is a plant for every place - we just need to find the right one. Jonathan personally the colour of the berries against the red brick would make me remove...