The senders of the first three solutions opened on 10 January will win a copy of Europe’s 100 Best Cathedrals by Simon Jenkins, and kindly donated by Penguin Books.

This beautifully illustrated guide, with colour photographs throughout, explores the history and stories behind a selection of the author’s favourite cathedrals across Europe.

Send your competition entries to:

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

Across

1 Dog warden when relocated is lower in rank (9)

6 Recalled top King in a set of cards (4)

8 Stop a baronet hoarding gold (5)

11 Name in diary associated with a board game in the distant past (4,3)

12 A group of characters in Oklahoma haunting a US city (5)

13 Where one might keep a jumbo item in the wardrobe, we hear (6)

15 Move near first in order after leaving island (8)

16 Even ground is seen around good desert in the Middle East (5)

17 Better picnic, as it were (5)

18 Adolescent an unknown of very diminutive stature (5)

19 Those who chortle about Western people posting social-media messages? (10)

21 Pull shown by new community (4)

23 Place linked to original sin is shunned endlessly? Not altogether (4)

25 An era split possibly regarding a book of devotional songs (10)

27 Old man in this way lacks classy ways (5)

29 Boxer, maybe, beginning to practise muddled way to swim? (3-6)

30 Noticed supports for pictures? Metal workers might use them (3,6)

33 Correspond with a person from Corinth largely? (5)

34 Relaxed number with northern church attended by a liberal worker (10)

35 Hairy man providing news value regularly (4)

37 Seasonal gift put in centre of mangers of a traditional type (4)

38 Fine club in road with cold gone cultivated roses with large sprays (10)

40 Some Hispanic hermit of a very specialised kind (5)

43 Abandon break for one employed in a service (5)

44 Record on paper broadcast of ceremony (5)

45 A lot of support to import a brandy liqueur (8)

48 Parish priest fronting appeal in university’s confines is resistant to persuasion (6)

49 Japanese food is thus cooked with little time to spare (5)

50 Extraordinary power found in most of poetry in a religious service (7)

51 Fellow initially given location of seasonal star for Christmas, maybe (5)

52 A number of oxen maybe sheltering in another district (4)

53 Awful game ruins some plants (9)

Down

1 Daughter left out some pottery (5)

2 Need period of time in Oxfordshire town (7)

3 US composer the first person, it’s said, to get a type of prosthetic (5,3)

*4 Avid lot as now by a sled (5,3,3,3,5)

5 Short memo put up in school (4)

*6,9  Inn? Last hope by end (6,4,4,2)

7 Cost right for a mobile accessory (7)

10 The writer in funny recitations in latent periods (8,5)

*13 Hand over wine, veg, ring (8,4,3,4)

18 First sign of this unwelcome plant in Scottish river (5)

20 Neil and Les when drunk not highly regarded in the past (3-4)

22 Father retaining power? It may be a feature of a church (5)

24 Gala lone padre arranged for a mystery writer (5,5,3)

26 Cut short abusive comment when given popular hormone (7)

31 Relish boldness (5)

*32,33,47  Lights bed as glen’s seen (3,7,6,4)

36 Free sole nun troubled about love (8)

39 New printing  of book about biblical children (7)

41 Conversation taking place over drink in French country house (7)

*42,28,14  Route’s as in bobsled (3,3,5,6)

46 Priest ultimately makes requests for assignments (5)

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