| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | CLUMPS | |
| Groups first to cultivate wild plums (6) | C + anagram of PLUMS | |
| 4 | GO-CART | |
| Old walker got stuck with car (2-4) | GOT outside CAR | |
| 8 | ILL-TREAT | |
| Don’t look after a tiller realigned by technician initially (3-5) | Anagram of A TILLER + T | |
| 9 | TEAM UP | |
| Couple conditioned tame pup with no lead (4,2) | Anagram of TAME + (p)UP | |
| 10 & 23ac |
SINGLE PARENT | |
| Collected money from tenant after pleasing confused caregiver going it alone (6,6) | RENT after anagram of PLEASING | |
| 11 | HOWITZER | |
| Military weapon – who ordered it reset before the end? (8) | Anagram of WHO + IT + ZER(o) | |
| 12 | ACTIVISTS | |
| Most of cast visits deranged militant reformers (9) | Anagram of CAST VISIT(s) | |
| 14 | See 3-down | |
| 16 | HELM | |
| Steer left entering area of border (4) | L inside HEM | |
| 18 | CARPENTRY | |
| Trade vehicle parking in front of way in (9) | CAR + P + ENTRY | |
| 21 | OVERPLAY | |
| Exaggerate the importance of unusual plover nesting next to a yard (8) | Anagram of PLOVER + A + Y(ard) | |
| 23 | See 10-across | |
| 24 | PITONS | |
| Climbing equipment operating inside mines (6) | ON inside PITS | |
| 25 | DIAPASON | |
| Paid back a son for tuning fork (8) | PAID reversed + A + SON | |
| 26 | HEATED | |
| He consumed starter of duck warmed up (6) | HE + ATE + (D)uck | |
| 27 | REPORT | |
| Work for a newspaper on a harbourside settlement (6) | RE + PORT | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | CULMINATE | |
| Wind up copper line mate spread around home (9) | CU + L + (MATE outside IN) | |
| 2 | UPTIGHT | |
| Neurotic put broadcast rights down in the margins (7) | Anagram of PUT + r)IGHT(s | |
| 3 & 14ac |
PIECE RATE | |
| A receipt incorrectly stated employee’s first payment based on production (5,4) | Anagram of A RECEIPT + E | |
| 4 | GO TO WASTE | |
| Be misused by leader of gang represented at Soweto? (2,2,5) | (G)ang + anagram of AT SOWETO | |
| 5 & 23dn |
CHARTER PLANE | |
| Irregular flight plan found in pocket of the racer at sea (7,5) | PLAN + anagram of THE RACER | |
| 6 | REUSE | |
| Recycle rubbish separated from fine stuff (5) | REFUSE minus F | |
| 7 | ITCHES | |
| Iodine put on infected chest causes irritation (6) | I + anagram of CHEST | |
| 13 | VOCALISED | |
| I love CD as arranged and sung (9) | Anagram of I LOVE CD AS | |
| 15 | TRYING OUT | |
| Time noted by right guy into distributed sampling (6,3) | T + R + anagram of GUY INTO | |
| 17 | MARK OUT | |
| Describe old vessel found sunk in inlet with no stern (4,3) | ARK inside MOUT(h) | |
| 19 | RIYADH | |
| Dairy serviced hot Middle Eastern capital (6) | Anagram of DAIRY + H | |
| 20 | TORNADO | |
| Storm divided a party (7) | TORN + A + DO | |
| 22 | VOILE | |
| Crinkled olive material (5) | Anagram of OLIVE | |
| 23 | See 5-down |
