COUNTRYSIDE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Walks unsteadily in a medieval York street? (8) 6 Human remains... right in a dense thicket of trees? (6) 9 Genus that includes sycamore and maple (4) 10 Heron-like wading bird – seen at shipyard? (5) 11 Ditch a castle defensive structure (4) 12 Sterilises a female animal – surgeon initially foots the bill (5) 13 Giblets, offal etc. (8) 14 Agitated, he sipped disinfectant for ruminants! (5-3) 17 Time of year a nut, um, cracked (6) 18 Establishment for horses resistant to change (6) 20 Searching for animal feed – going far off (8) 22 Coastal wild Michaelmas daisy (3,5) 24 Highest pike on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast – young goat enclosure? (6) 26 Spun thread – quite a story (4) 27 Bird’s night-time perch (5) 28 A dash for this South Downs river (4) 29 Describes heavy, sticky but nutritious soil (6) 30 One side of town on the S.W. Coast Path – arranged lease too! (4,4)

DOWN

2 Rides a horse and cuts a way through thick foliage (5) 3 A Thanet Coastal Path resort – spoil means of access (7) 4 Canal gates (5) 5 Provide support for tall plant – investment increased? (5,2) 6 Tuft of feathers e.g. on a waxwing’s head (5) 7 Like invasive plants – making sheep gasp for breath! (7) 8 Ostler – steady sort of chap! (9) 15 Black Mountains’ ridge on Offa’s Dyke path – halt later, perhaps (9) 16 Female animal... starts to display on Exmoor (3) 17 Scottish market town in day ramble (3) 19 Kissing this stone is just so much nonsense? (7) 20 Spruce or pine fruit (7) 21 Small grey dabbling duck – glad law changed (7) 23 Hang around... in three-star, Rydal (5) 24 Birds of prey – flown on the end of lines? (5) 25 Cornish market town: initially, tourists rather upset residents – outrageous! (5)