I prune mine down to the ground every year, they have so far always grown from below soil level.

Thanks for reply! Just wish I was brave enough to risk it with there being no buds at a low level. This was quite a pricey plant from the raymond evison collection and it's still a youngish plant that's why I'm hesitant. I would hate it not to flower this year

Take a deep breath, secateurs at the ready, now cut above the second pair of leaves, or where they were last year - you should be able to see withered growth there at the very least. Look at it this way, if there's buds at the top, then the whole stem is alive - more buds will be produced near the bottom, and possibly new stems will arise from the rootstock as well.

Agree and hello ... hard prune clematis are usually later flowerers (sorry english!) so need cutting right down in February, despite the buds. Did one today, and felt bad but I know it will grow back and flower beautifully in June, as it always does! Give it a bit of blood, fish and bone after cutting down, and if not done recently then replace top couple of inches with some fresh john innes no.3. Out of interest, which clematis is it, and how old is it?

If you are really worried then cut off everything above the buds you can see. This will force the buds lower down the stem to break and then you can prune back to them at a later date, as long as it is not too late in the season.
OR, go looking round the base of the plant, just under the soil for new stems appearing from the roots.
Or. Do like Christopher Lloyd did and grow the plant as a standard with a bare 'leg', up which he planted another Clematis of the same type. This second one was pruned to the ground in February. This had the effect of giving a tall plant with flowers all the way up.

I stand by what I said above - be brave, it'll be fine, I assure you - unless wilt occurs later in the season, of course, which is a different thing, and must be watched for over the growing season.
By the way, if it helps you to be brave, I did mine 3 or 4 days ago - one had fat buds right at the top, nothing at the bottom. Chopped it anyway.

Done about 2/3 of ours today, stopped cos the compost bin was full. Lots of nice fat buds gone in the bin. Only about 30 more clematis to go.

thanks for giving me the courage to go for it ! I will prune it hard and give it some new john innes no. 3 Its called Shimmer Clematis. I ordered it online in 2010 from Raymond Evison nursery in Guernsey and it flowered beautifully that summer. Pruned it hard Feb 2011 and it was smothered in flowers from June to September. It had so many flowers of the most lovely shade of pale violet that there was barely any foliage to be seen.Photo's really don;t do the colour justice. Here's to a repeat performance this year ! Many thanks for eveyone's contribution

Hello Gateshead - definitely cut down now as above recommends. Wonderful idea, Owdboggy, about the standard ... will try myself to get continuous flowers. Thank you!

Think it was also done at Treasure's in Tenbury.