I could nit-pick and quibble about several clues but I’m not going to, I’ll leave that up to you if you feel so inclined. My main gripe is the use of ‘in X’ three times as the definition for a location.
Overall, an easy puzzle with the possible exception of 21dn in which both the answer and part of the wordplay could be considered somewhat obscure.
Across
1 Find fault with old Scot capturing King Arthur’s capital (4,2)
PICK AT – PICT (old Scot) around (capturing) K (king) A[rthur] (Arthur’s capital)
4 Charlie inclines to abdominal pain (6)
CRAMPS – C (Charlie) RAMPS (inclines)
8 Loser is too driven (4-3)
ALSO-RAN – ALSO (too) RAN (driven)
9 Zero? Less than zero? About zero? That’s sinister! (7)
OMINOUS – O (zero) MINUS (less than zero) around (about) O (zero)
11 Body of troops in reserve (10)
DETACHMENT – double def.
12 Banker having role in trusteeship (4)
TEES – hidden in (having role in) ‘trusTEEShip’
13 Fellow keeps hotel in Belgium (5)
GHENT – GENT (fellow) around (keeps) H (hotel)
14 Notice present – books for supporter (8)
ADHERENT – AD (notice) HERE (present) NT (books)
16 Trim and disinfect gash (5-3)
CLEAN-CUT – CLEAN (disinfect) CUT (gash)
18 Man, brilliant bridge player, shows clubs (5)
MACES – M (man) ACE (brilliant) S (bridge player)
20 Excessive noise with time creates depression (4)
DINT – DIN (excessive noise) T (time)
21 Formidable woman has writer making cheese (10)
GORGONZOLA – GORGON (formidable woman) ZOLA (writer)
23 Woman in torment shows spirit (7)
BANSHEE – SHE (woman) in BANE (torment)
24 Mock working in Somerset (7)
TAUNTON – TAUNT (mock) ON (working)
25 Nurse makes an offer (6)
TENDER – double def.
26 Bits Rex found in Slough and Stourhead (6)
SHREDS – R (Rex) in (found in) SHED (slough) S[tour] (Stourhead)
Down
1 Seeds take some beating (5)
PULSE – double def.
2 Vocal during revolutionary hymn (7)
CHORALE – ORAL (vocal) in (during) CHE (revolutionary)
3 I teach Pat, extraordinarily unresponsive (9)
APATHETIC – an anagram (extraordinarily) of I TEACH PAT
5 Authorisation to wind up the clock (5)
REMIT – TIMER (the clock) reversed (to wind up)
6 Keep an eye on / the screen (7)
MONITOR – double def.
7 Sue rents a building in Bordeaux (9)
SAUTERNES – an anagram (building) of SUE RENTS A
10 Put reader off going away (9)
DEPARTURE – an anagram (off) of PUT READER
13 Noble gets intravenous injection for stray (9)
GALLIVANT – GALLANT (noble) around (gets) IV (intravenous injection)
15 Medical practitioner put orchestra leader in the family way (9)
HOMEOPATH – O[rchestra] (orchestra leader) in (put…in) HOME (the family) PATH (way)
17 Sinatra upset technician (7)
ARTISAN – an anagram (upset) of SINATRA
19 Painter portrays Ezra with girl in church (7)
CEZANNE – EZ (Ezra) ANN (girl) in CE (church)
21 Given church land bishop bursts into song (5)
GLEBE – B (bishop) in (bursts into) GLEE (song)
22 Sacks put over seat (5)
LOOTS – STOOL (seat) reversed (put over)
Picked up a free FT at Frankfurt airport.
Hmmmm
Not everyone will think a homeopath is a medical practitioner,
Ex for Ezra. Really?
In 1d seeds are plural and pulse isn’t. In ended up with this as my last one in and only got it by enumeration.
“In Belgium” Is not a definition for Ghent, Same point for Taunton and Somerset. Don’t mind these so much if they are in an ocean of excellence but you couldn’t really say that today.
Still, free newspapers at an airport is very civilised
Thanks Armonie and Gaufrid
Nothing too exciting at all with this puzzle today – filled with a lot of well-used clues and all over quite quickly. It’s rather odd as I usually enjoy the crisp clueing of this setter.
The only point of interest that I could find was the link between Emile ZOLA and Paul CEZANNE – the latter being the subject of Zola’s “L’OEuvre” (1866) and brought about an end to their friendship.
Andrew B @1
From Chambers “Ez. – (Bible) abbrev (the Book of) Ezra”.
Thanks to A & G.
The “in X” idiom is one of my bugbears, but I think 7d can perhaps be excused: SAUTERNES as a wine could be described as a Bordeaux, leaving “in” as just a linking word.
I agree with Andrew B that a HOMEOPATH is not a medical practitioner.
Thanks Armonie and Gaufrid. Pulse can be a singular or plural noun so 1D seems fine.