FACTFINDER’S CROSSWORD

Dear Reader,

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic we are suspending competition entries for all our prize crosswords. Puzzles will continue to appear as normal but no entries will be accepted or prizes given.

We hope to return to normal as soon as possible.

The solution to this week’s Factfinder crossword will appear next Saturday as usual.

Stay safe!

Joy Yates, Editorial Director

Across

1 Lengthwise of a ship (4-3-5)

9 To comment, or discourse at length (7)

10 A region of southern Portugal (1,929 sq

miles; pop 500,000 (7)

11 A vey small acaridan arachnid (4)

12 Country in north-east Africa (728,415 sq

miles; pop: about 49 million (5)

13 Short river in southern England, flowing 20

miles into the English Channel (4)

16 The first section of an ancient Greek choral

ode (7)

17 A cross-piece or beam (7)

18 A country dance, especially in the US (7)

21 A girl or young woman in Ireland (7)

23 Ancint Roman emperor, famed for his

cruelty (4)

24 A unit of liquid measure (5)

25 A source or cause of evil (4)

28 One of the feathers growing on a bird's wing

(7)

29 Sea-nymphs in Greek mythology (7)

30 A type of paddle-steamer (12)

Down

2 A species of sturgeon (7)

3 A mild Dutch cheese (4)

4 A small Japanese carved ornament (7)

5 An imagined rock with fabulous properties

(7)

6 Country in west Africa (21,616 sq miles; pop

about 9 million) (4)

7 A choir-screen (7)

8 Rigs the boundaries of constituencies to

benefit one party (12)

9 Relating to an ancient Greek orator (396 - 322

BC) (12)

14 An informal name for a spy (5)

15 A type of marten valued for its dark brown

fur (5)

19 A type of elongated insects (7)

20 A subatomic particle (7)

21 Ancient Greek city demolished by the

Romans in 146 BC (7)

22 A light cotton or worsted fabric (7)

26 The award of sporting colours at

universities, etc (4)

A French soft cheese (4)

27