Thank you to Filbert. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8. Senior clergyman intimate with very becoming maidens (7)
PRIMATE : “private”(personal/intimate) with “v”(abbrev. for “very”) replaced by(with … becoming) M(abbrev. for “maidens”).
9. European sleeps on Channel Tunnel line, going back (7)
SPANISH : Reversal of(…, going back) [ NAPS(dozes/sleeps) placed after(on) HSI(abbrev. for “High Speed International” presumably, referring to the Eurostar high-speed rail service/line connecting the UK to other countries via the Channel Tunnel) ].
10. Scotch added on drinks dad and I had (3,4,2)
PUT PAID TO : [PUT TO](suggested/added on) containing(drinks) [ PA(familiar term for one’s father/dad) plus (and) I’D(contraction of “I had”) ].
Defn: To …/put an end to.
11. Harry deprived of king’s insignia (5)
BADGE : “badger”(to pester/harry) minus(deprived of) “r”(abbrev. for “rex”/king).
12. Part of bolt on doorframe painted round (5)
TONDO : Hidden in(Part of) “bolt on doorframe”.
Defn: A circular painting.
13. For real crime, Capone cleared out bank (9)
SINCERELY : SIN(an offence/crime) + “Capone” minus its inner letters(cleared out) + RELY(to bank/depend on).
Defn: …/genuinely.
15. Heroic term interchangeable with “Centre of roundabout west of Paris” (3,2,8)
ARC DE TRIOMPHE : Anagram of(… interchangeable) [HEROIC TERM plus(with) middle 2 letters of(Centre of) “roundabout” + 1st letter of(west of, in an across clue) “Paris” ].
Defn: A phrase/term with heroic connotations as well as a monument at the centre of a roundabout in Paris.
18. British label on pants giving one away in German’s house (9)
BUNDESTAG : B(abbrev. for “British”) + “undies tag”(what one might call the label/tag on a pair of undies/items of underwear, in particular briefs/pants) minus(giving … away) “I”(Roman numeral for “one”).
Defn: … with a capital H, the German Federal Parliament.
20. Fish squirted water from mouths across river (5)
SPRAT : SPAT(squirted/spewed water/saliva from the mouth) containing(across) R(abbrev. for “river”).
21. Separate intro for song on record (5)
SEVER : 1st letter of(intro for) “song” + EVER(compared with what is in the past/on record, as in “this is the biggest event ever”).
I may be out with my parsing.
23. News in the paper concerning Republican in the soup (9)
REPORTAGE : RE(with reference to/concerning) + [ R(abbrev. for a member of the Republican Party) contained in(in the) POTAGE(a thick soup) ].
25. Offer to cover tracks reflected trouble (7)
DISTURB : Reversal of(… reflected) [ BID(to tender/offer) containing(to cover) RUTS(grooves/tracks made in the ground by vehicles’ wheels) ].
26. French drink tea with delight, mostly (7)
CHABLIS : CHA(slang for “tea”) plus(with) “bliss”(intense joy/delight) minus its last letter(mostly).
Defn: …, in this case, a dry white wine from France.
Down
1. Difficult crossword arrived? Bugger, you might say (8-2)
LISTENER-IN : LISTENER(a difficult crossword, taking its name from The Listener, the weekly magazine in which it appears) + IN(arrived/came in).
Defn: One who eavesdrops on conversations using concealed devices/bugs, whom you might say is/call a bugger.
2. Five Turkish and British commanders in Rover (8)
VAGABOND : V(Roman numeral for “five”) + [ AGA(a Turkish commander/leader) plus(and) BOND(Commander James …, the fictional secret agent) ].
Defn: …/drifter.
3. Reversible instrument (4)
DEED : A palindrome(Reversible).
Defn: A legal instrument/document.
4. Miraculous nun is at God’s disposal (10)
ASTOUNDING : Anagram of(…’s disposal) NUN IS AT GOD.
5. Country walk with first half climbing attractive rock (6)
MARBLE : RAMBLE(a long leisurely walk in the countryside) with reversal of(… climbing, in a down clue) its 1st 3 letters(first half).
Defn: Sculpture made from marble.
6. Fierce wife is lady every so often (4)
WILD : 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th letters of(… every so often) “wife is lady”.
7. Bright church strangely frightening (6)
CHEERY : CH(abbrev. for “church”) + EERY(alternative of “eerie”/strangely frightening).
Defn: …/cheerful and happy.
8. Young animal had to enter cocoon (6)
PUPATE : PUP(the young of a dog) + ATE(consumed/had).
Defn: When an insect larva makes a cocoon for itself before developing into an adult.
13. Think a lot of groups ran past? (3,5,2)
SET STORE BY : SETS(collections of similar things/groups) + [TORE BY](ran past at great speed).
Defn: …/regard highly.
14. Editor’s lead article in fact without substance (10)
ETHEREALLY : 1st letter of(…’s lead) “Editor” + THE(an article in grammar) + REALLY(truly/in fact).
Defn: …/airily.
16. Strong cold wind around island impaired hearing (8)
MISTRIAL : MISTRAL(a strong cold wind that blows through the Rhone Valley in France) containing(around) I(abbrev. for “island”).
Defn: A hearing in court/trial that is declared invalid/impaired.
17. States positively upset, losing American accent (6)
STRESS : Reversal of(… upset, in a down clue) “asserts”(states positively/declares firmly) minus(losing) “A”(abbrev. for “American”).
Defn: …/an emphasis put on, say, a syllable in a word.
18. Too near (6)
BESIDE : Double defn: 1st: An archaic alternative for “besides”/…/as well; and 2nd: Physically …/next to.
19. Reprimand headless chicken? (6)
EARFUL : 1st letter of deleted from(headless) “fearful”(cowardly/chicken).
Defn: …/a scolding.
22. End of manoeuvres in tank covering great area (4)
VAST : Last letter of(End of) “manoeuvres” contained in(in) VAT(a large tank for storing liquid).
24. Lick a bit of expensive cappuccino up (4)
PACE : Hidden in(a bit of) reversal of(… up, in a down clue) “expensive cappuccino”.
Defn: …/speed.
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