| CAMBRIDGE | University city in England, site of the Backs, the Bridge of Sighs and the Mathematical Bridge (9) |
| HINDRANCE | At the back, the swivelling crane is an obstacle (9) |
| THAMES | Longest river entirely in England, site of the annual Boat Race on a stretch between Putney to Mortlake (6) |
| OXFORD | University city in England (6) |
| WARMUPS | Stretches, sighs, and trills, for vocalists |
| MOPES | Sighs and sulks |
| DEFENCE | River engulfing marshland in the region of the Backs |
| SPLATS | The middle parts of the backs of chairs |
| WALKING | One of the backs controls hostile game (7) |
| KENT | 'Garden of England', site of the 'castle of queens, queen of castles' and much of the North Downs (4) |
| EASTSUSSEX | County in the south of England, site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (4,6) |
| HOOD | Thomas ___, English poet whose works include 'The Song of the Shirt' (1843) and 'The Bridge of Sighs' (1844) (4) |
| RACONTEUR | One skilled in anecdotes backs the car on true diversions |
| SENLAC | Hill in Sussex, England, site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 (6) |
| POLLYGONE | What did the mathematical pirate say when his bird flew away? |
| XRAYSPECS | Classic novelty advertised in the backs of comic books |
| DEFERENCE | Respectful compliance with the Engineers among the backs (9) |
| ONBUTTONS | Things in the backs of Macs |
| TEWKESBURY | Town in Gloucestershire, England, site of a decisive 1471 battle of the Wars of the Roses (10) |
| HERTFORD | College in Oxford University noted for its skyway called the Bridge of Sighs (8) |
