The senders of the first three solutions opened on 11 January will win a copy of Arts and Crafts Churches by Alec Hamilton, kindly donated by Lund Humphries. This beautifully illustrated book provides a detailed account of more than 200 British Arts and Crafts churches built mostly between 1804 and 1918.

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Christmas Crossword
Church Times
3rd Floor, Invicta House
108-114 Golden Lane
London
EC1Y 0

*The answers to the asterisked clues are members of a group found in one chapter of the Bible. Spellings are from the AV, except for 5A which is from the NIV.

Across

*1 Note Noah’s son hugging head of aardvark (7)

*5 Trouble admitted by Zulu king (5)

*8 Note a fool working (7)

12 Succeeded with trendy words about hospital in study periods (6,5)

13 Skill in graduates seen after 5th of November? Six days after that date (9)

14 Naval officer — notice male beside rail at sea (7)

15 Shock treatment by world gone mad (4-3)

17 What has pierced alderman’s skin? (5)

*18 A maiden at home with a bad back (8)

21 Picture encased, not refined? One no good (4,7)

25 Equipment sailor brought back for dyeing process (5)

26 Regarding display of dates? Sources of new dates in a circle, possibly (9)

27 Period of time, second recalled by this Greek character (5)

29 Carol wildly ringing with hidden glory — oh my, not half! (4,4,7,2,4)

*32 Shout of derision mostly about ship (5)

33 Fourth part of play is about street campaigners (9)

*35 One imprisoned by English Law Lord? (5)

36 The porch is given new design by leader of revival — Wren? (11)

38 Liberty featured in commonplace statement lacking power (8)

41 Formerly taking in United when expected (2,3)

43 Partner is type to get behind a scam (7)

45 Release found by a foreign learner at church (7)

48 I reviewed Latin era, amongst other things (5,4)

50 Dog: is this tree somehow right? (5,6)

*51 Unaccompanied male operating (7)

52 Cameraman Adams — some cameraman seldom seen (5)

*53 I seek both middle of maze, wandering about (7)

Down

*1 Little woman, one entertained by specialist regiment (6)

*2 Account given by that guy (5)

3 It’s doubly hard before our time to get going (1-4)

4 Spotted test on Chevrolet finally getting conducted (7)

*5 Heartless masked avenger going to biblical towel (9)

6 Dance party in yard is cool (5)

7 Some book — implicitly a work by Kipling (3)

8 Knight very fidgety, being this? (5)

*9 A proposal to restrict university (5)

10 Japanese nobleman spoke endlessly about unfinished wall painting (7)

11 Upset at losing a wistful feeling (9)

16 Small coins scattered in raid, around back of safe (7)

19 Almost silent insects, not normal creatures (7)

20 Feature of nudist beach - keen to get involved with sands? (9)

21 Brand of sturdy vehicles having both sides completed (4,5)

22 Feet of sneaky bounder climbing over top of tower (7)

23 A set of books in which to find various bits of modern decoration (9)

*24 Little old place for a snooze (4)

26 Dancing at coven?  Hispanic’s ready no longer (7)

28 Informed, provided one gets stuck into two editions (7)

*30 Lustreless Chinese dynasty (7)

31 No opening to criticise where ornithologists observe birds? (4)

*32 Jonah cries uncontrollably, with no end of anger? (9)

*34 All hate is misguided (9)

37 Number omitted by clarinet playing in concert (7)

39 Last of water extracted from narrow vessel? That is a difficult thing (7)

*40 Quiet animals capable of running at speed (6)

*42 Oxford detective turned up (5)

43 Pass on item of punctuation (5)

*44 Australian is seen around capital of Australia (5)

46 Belgian city, for example, in story (5)

47 African expresses disapproval, landing on island (5)

*49 A group of Salvationists (3)

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