Times 25507

Solving time: 33:09

I rattled through the top half in about 10 minutes, but slowed down a bit towards the bottom.

A pretty enjoyable romp today. It's rather nice to get one that doesn’t involve me staying up to all hours trying to complete it. I finished in the south west corner with ASCOT & NUTMEG, although I don't know why those two took me so long to get. I suspect we'll see some quick times today.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (--)*, and removals like this

Across
1	F + ETCHING
5	WA(RM)T + H - A wat being a Thai Buddhist temple, the Angkor Wat being the most famous example.
10	THE SCOTTISH PLAY = H in TESCO + (THIS APTLY)*
11	stokE + DUCAT + carlislE
12	CHIME + RA - I didn't need to read past 'lion-headed monster' with the checkers I had in place.
13	SHEEP-DIP = EastbridgE + PD (paid) in SHIP - A Suffolk being a breed of sheep
15	T(EP)EE
18	AN(T)ON
20	T(HEIDI)OT - Dostoyevsky's novel upon which Truman Capote loosely based his book Breakfast at Tiffany's
23	C(RAMP)ON - Not a meaning of RAMP that I have come across before.
25	MA + C + BETH
26	PICK UP THE PIECES - dd
27	NUT + M + EG
28	REVEILLE = RE + "VALLEY"
Down
1	FAT + HERo
2	TREBUCHET = (E + B) in (UTRECHT)*
3	H(ECT)ARE
4	NITRE - hidden
6	ATHEIST = IS in (HATTEr)*
7	MIL(N)E - Creator of Winnie the Pooh
8	HAYMAKER = HOLIDAYMAKER (one on vacation) without O (over) + LID (the top) - I do like the 'lift and separate' elements of 'over the top'. My COD
9	MIN(CE + PI)E
14	DETONATE = ETA + NOTED all rev
16	PROVEN + C + A + L
17	SAUCE + PAiN
19	NEPTUNE = PEN rev + TUNE - The final part of Holst's Planets Suite
21	DECLINE - dd
22	CHAS(pheasanT)E
24	mASCOT
25	M + scholarlY + EYE