What on Earth? by Vagans

Puzzle explanation

The grid represented the Mappa Mundi at Hereford Cathedral, with its idiosyncratic placement of geographical and Biblical items. The extra letters in wordplay for the inward radials spelt “highlight focal city”, referring to the unclued JERUSALEM at the map’s centre.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Radials
1 FADES HADES − H after F
2 TRIFF RIFF in T[H]’
3 JOHANN OH in JANN
4 JOURNO (c)ONJURO(r) *
5 GREER GREAS[I]ER − AS
6 RADIO RAD + I/O
7 ONSIDE [G]O + N + SIDE
8 DUENDE ([H]EN + D) in DUE
9 MEADS DAMSEL * − L
10 OCCAM (Postd)OC C[L]AM(pdown)
11 RAMEAU AMA(t)EUR *
12 RAJPUT RAJ + PUT
13 POOCH POO + CH
14 ATRIP A[I]T + RIP
15 UPRUNS UP + RUNS
16 UPKEEP P in UKE + EP
17 ADMIT M(any) in ADIT
18 SHEBA SHE + BA[G]
19 SMUDGE SAGE with MUD for A
20 WHELMS (HM + WELS[H]) *
21 OTAKU (OK + U) around TA[T]
22 BUCHU (UH[F] + CUB) <
23 ANGINA (P)ANG IN A(orta)
24 ANARCH ARCHDEACON * − CODE *
25 DEFAT DEFT around A
26 ROALD (L + A + DO[O]R) *
27 OXTAIL [C]OX + TAIL
28 LICHEN homophone of LIKEN
29 AITCH A[A] around ITCH
30 HO-HUM (So)HO HUM(bug)
31 PEE-PEE PEEP + EE[L]
32 LOANEE LO[C]ATE around NE − T
33 ERROR TERRO[I]R − T
34 RAKER [T]AKE in RR
35 MEDIAE MEDIAE(val)
36 ARNHEM [Y]ARN + HEM
Rings
3 NO-GOOD GOO in NOD
9 SOUTH SOH around TU <
14 ASP PSA <
17 WEST STEW *
21 OBA (f)O(r)B(e)A(r)
24 NORTH NOR + T(ackle) H(airpin)
29 AMPLER SAMPLER − S
35 EAST EAGEREST − GERE
37 RED SEA ERASED *
38 EUROPE EU + R + O’ + PE
39 MED (costu)ME D(ramas)
40 AFRICA AIRCRAF(t) * − R
41 THE ARK KT < around HEAR
42 INDIA IN + AID <
43 MAPPA MUNDI MA + PP + AM + UNDI(d)
44 HEREFORD HERE + FOR + D(inner)
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