Question by Aedites

Puzzle explanation

The letter groups were: [C,H,I,J,M], [D,A,S], [E,B,P,X], [F,K,N,R,T,U,Z] and [G,L,O,Q,V,W,Y]. The answer to the question was “(a) tall building, with a tower and bells” (George Crabbe The Borough (1810)). Columns three to seven contained the first ten changes (of Reverse St Bartholomew Doubles) and columns nine to 13 followed with ten changes (of Bampton Place Doubles) ending in “rounds” GFEDC. This gave a cycle of twenty different permutations in which the lightest bell G followed a regular “plain hunt” pattern, which was to be highlighted.

In addition to the intended answer CHURCH (under the grid), it was decided to accept CAMPANILE, BELL TOWER and BELFRY, although the feasibility of any one of those allowed the other two, thereby making the answer non-unique. Further, the definition in The Chambers Dictionary of campanile, which is the nearest to the unclued grid elements, differs in not having the word “with” before “a (bell) tower”: a campanile is a tower in itself. There is a strong argument that “A with B” cannot equal “B”, but solvers were given the benefit of the doubt; most of those reaching such an answer will have achieved a correct grid without the aid of the quotation, which is a more difficult task.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 TINGE TIN + EG <
5 HARM H + ARM
8 GRAPLE L in GRAPE
13 SENEGA (A + GÊNE + S) <
16 KOBAN Hidden
17 WREN Two definitions
18 DOILT DOLT about I
19 JELABS JES(s) about LAB
20 BEATH E in BATH
21 JUMBAL M in JUBA + L
23 BEDE Two definitions
24 ROZIT RIT about OZ
26 DELLA (A + L + LED) <
28 REAME RE + A + ME
31 OUCHT TOUCH, T to end
33 OBOE Alternate letters
34 HAVERS Two definitions
36 CODEX CODE + X
37 ORIGAN I GROAN *
38 BURGH (H + GRUB) <
39 BALL Two definitions
40 HOISE HOSE about I’
41 FEISTY FEIS + YT <
42 HOLIST HOLI + ST
43 BOLT Two definitions
44 PACHA CHA after PA
Down
2 JEZEBEL BEZ < in JEEL
3 VERSE CONVERSE – CON
4 XYSTI SIXTY *
5 MALINGERER ERRING MALE *
6 AMMO (m)AMMO(n)
8 QUICKTHORN QUICK + THORN
9 FLEES FLEETS – T
10 ABODE A + BODE
11 BAAL BA(n)AL
14 TEXAS TEAS about X
15 HUTCH HUT + CH
22 HOG-PLUM PLOUGH * + M(arl)
25 OTTER (r)OTTER
27 WEEDS WEE + B(uilding)S
29 MAGIC GI in MAC(kintosh)
30 BLADS Alternate letters
32 SWIPE S + WIPE
33 LAPIS PAILS *
34 CHOW Two definitions
35 TROW T’ + ROW
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