I also have Penelope but wouldn't call it white, it's more of a creamy/apricot/pale pink for me in clay soil. Margaret Merrill and Winchester Cathedral are both good whites for me. WC is bushier, taller and healthier than MM so far. Both have good fragrance.
I'd recommend you try Iceberg however, it's been such a popular white rose for years, it must be good and as you say, it's cheaper so better for relative beginners.
I have several Claire Austins and she is a very good doer, even evergreen through the winter for me (central Scotland). If your spot is relatively sheltered she might be a great choice. The one in the front of the house is often defoliated because it gets hit by the coastal winds, it's a pretty harsh area. But it still tries to bloom it's head off. Easy to manage and cut back if needed.
@Nollie earlier in the thread mentioned Madame Alfred Carriere. We inherited one here and she’s one of my favourites.
Probably best described as off white as she has a slight pink sometimes apricot flush, which varies how intense it is across the season. She has a gorgeous scent and flowers well but she is a monster. Probably not for the back of a border as she will grow around 2m/6 feet during the growing season so you would need access to tie her in if you didn’t want her to sprawl. Her eventual size is give as 8m but I suspect she could do more if happy.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
My very favourite white, should read blush white, is Margaret Merill. Not seen much as it seems to be a weak grower but the scent is wonderful, although you did say scent was not an essential.
Perfect timing, @Devonian - I noticed the most beautiful white rose at the gardens where I volunteer today, so much so that I had to ask what it was. It's a semi-double rather than a full traditional rose, and was very attractive to bees (if you're interested in that sort of thing).
The rose was 'White Star', and was so beautiful, healthy, really good shape, and is a climber - saying that, where it was planted it didn't have anything to climb against but still stood firm and made a really nice shape. The leaves were a good size, fairly glossy (but not shiny), and it was about 2m high. It had lots of flowers on already, and still more buds yet to open.
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Peter Beales website gives you the possibility of narrowing it down. I've typed in some criteria but I don't know if it will turn out right if I copy and paste the link. https://www.classicroses.co.uk/roses.html?pbr_flowering_period_string=588&pbr_height_range=572&pbr_rose_colour=12&pbr_rose_group=87
Margaret Merrill and Winchester Cathedral are both good whites for me. WC is bushier, taller and healthier than MM so far. Both have good fragrance.
I'd recommend you try Iceberg however, it's been such a popular white rose for years, it must be good and as you say, it's cheaper so better for relative beginners.
Probably best described as off white as she has a slight pink sometimes apricot flush, which varies how intense it is across the season. She has a gorgeous scent and flowers well but she is a monster. Probably not for the back of a border as she will grow around 2m/6 feet during the growing season so you would need access to tie her in if you didn’t want her to sprawl. Her eventual size is give as 8m but I suspect she could do more if happy.
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham