3-across – With caution, prudence or tact : CAREFULLY

8-across – Particular : ITEM

9-across – I ruminate : MINIATURE

10-across – Subject of speleology : CAVE

11-across – Small and light boat, pointed at both ends : CANOE

15-across – Relating to, or using, sight : VISUAL

16-across – Yes, please! : RATHER

17-across – Series of hills or mountains : RANGES

19-across – Middle European, for example : GERMAN

20-across – Static photograph : STILL

23-across – Break under strain : SNAP

24-across – Giving an account of something in words : REPORTING

25-across – Celestial body : STAR

26-across – Foretold : PREDICTED

1-down – Breakthrough : DISCOVERY

2-down – Fails to interest or excite : LEAVESONE

4-down – Creature : ANIMAL

5-down – One who determines the final content of a text : EDITOR

6-down – State-of-the-art : UPTO

7-down – Titled peer of the realm : LORD

11-down – Wild animal enclosures : CAGES

12-down – Board stanchion : EASEL

13-down – See 6 : THEMINUTE

14-down – Delight : TRANSPORT

18-down – Not moving : STATIC

19-down – Take a brief look : GLANCE

21-down – Within reach : NEAR

22-down – See 2 : COLD

7-across – Sumptuousness : OPULENCE

8-across – Volcanic flow : LAVA

9-across – Corium, the inner layer of skin : DERMA

10-across – Automaton that resembles a human being : ANDROID

12-across – Sea-borne missile : TORPEDO

14-across – Sailing or motor vessel for cruising or racing : YACHT

15-across – 28.3495 grammes : OUNCE

16-across – Gourmand : GLUTTON

17-across – Vacation : HOLIDAY

18-across – One of the two main branches of Islam : SHIAH

20-across – Large deer of Europe and N America : ELKS

21-across – Affected with emotional disorder : NEUROTIC

1-down – Smugly virtuous type : GOODYTWOSHOES

2-down – Engine sound : PURR

3-down – Small oval seeds baked into the crusts of bread or on buns : SESAMESEED

4-down – Eight leaves to a sheet : OCTAVO

5-down – Rout Czar? : RAZORCUT

6-down – Grossly exaggerated something : LAIDITONTHICK

11-down – Kindergarten : DAYNURSERY

13-down – Annular : RINGLIKE

16-down – Hot spring : GEYSER

19-down – Tiny or scarcely detectable amount : IOTA

5-across – Attractive, scenic : PICTURESQUE

7-across – Rebuff : SNUB

8-across – Aversion : DISTASTE

9-across – The back of the skull : OCCIPUT

11-across – Last, ultimate : FINAL

13-across – Measure of writing paper : QUIRE

14-across – Correct usage of words : GRAMMAR

16-across – Seize goods legally : DISTRAIN

17-across – Mark, scar of blow on skin : WEAL

18-across – First intuition : GUTINSTINCT

1-down – Blackleg, strike-breaker : SCAB

2-down – Commonplace, dull : HUMDRUM

3-down – Restraint, tether : LEASH

4-down – Tank for aquatic life : AQUARIUM

5-down – Tendency towards hoarding in a perceived emergency or shortage : PANICBUYING

6-down – Wasteful, lavish : EXTRAVAGANT

10-down – Annoy, rankle with : IRRITATE

12-down – Threesome : TRINITY

15-down – Swoon, pass out : FAINT

17-down – Decrease, decline : WANE

1-across – Reader : LECTOR

4-across – Dull, insipid : VAPID

7-across – Real, authentic : ACTUAL

8-across – Dark red Bordeaux wine : CLARET

9-across – Bargain : SNIP

10-across – Rough, grating : ABRASIVE

12-across – Side by side, close : CHEEKBYJOWL

17-across – Talk : CONVERSE

19-across – Small sledge for one : LUGE

20-across – Make certain : ENSURE

21-across – Hosiery : TIGHTS

22-across – Perhaps : MAYBE

23-across – Resentment, rancour : GRUDGE

1-down – Terse, of few words : LACONIC

2-down – Collapse, cave in : CRUMPLE

3-down – Bulk fuel freighter : OILTANKER

4-down – Large house : VILLA

5-down – Compass, range : PURVIEW

6-down – Hesitate, haver : DITHER

11-down – Inferior poet : RHYMESTER

13-down – Probity : HONESTY

14-down – Indebted : OBLIGED

15-down – Beneficiary of a will : LEGATEE

16-down – Piercing cry : SCREAM

18-down – Weird, uncanny : EERIE

1-across – Sly, knowing : ARCH

3-across – Well off : AFFLUENT

9-across – Dearth, scarcity : PAUCITY

10-across – Book of blank pages for collectables, memorabilia etc. : ALBUM

11-across – Group of eight : OCTET

12-across – Character, make-up : NATURE

14-across – Complexities, difficulties : COMPLICATIONS

17-across – Sect, faction : SCHOOL

19-across – Banquet : FEAST

22-across – Of the city : URBAN

23-across – One who amalgamates, consolidator : UNIFIER

24-across – Conjecture, hypothesise : THEORISE

25-across – Metallic element : ZINC

1-down – Come towards : APPROACH

2-down – Enumerate : COUNT

4-down – Conspicuous success : FLYINGCOLOURS

5-down – Minimum : LEAST

6-down – Proscribe, ban : EMBARGO

7-down – Burial chamber : TOMB

8-down – Refine, extract : DISTIL

13-down – Abstruse; secret : ESOTERIC

15-down – Ghastly, gruesome : MACABRE

16-down – Light midday meal : TIFFIN

18-down – Possessor : OWNER

20-down – Plea of absence : ALIBI

21-down – Abandon, depart : QUIT