Church of St Michael and All Angels

St Michael and All Angels stands on rising ground at the edge of Hallaton in the Leicestershire countryside. The church is a Grade I listed building in the Norman style, begun in the thirteenth century. A fifteenth-century north porch was added later, and some of its original timbers remain. The tower rises with a fine broach spire praised as one of the best in the county. Inside, the nave and chancel show thirteenth-century work, while the aisles were added a century afterwards. The church is dedicated to St Michael and keeps many features from its building phases. The north aisle’s sculptured stonework contrasts with the plain battlemented south aisle. A handsome monument in one corner commemorates a former rector. The dignified tower and spire give the exterior a strong outline against the sky. The interior still carries the nobility and beauty noted by early observers. Visitors find a quiet churchyard on the slope behind the building. The tower and spire dominate the view from the lane below. Inside, the nave and chancel open in simple thirteenth-century proportions. The fifteenth-century porch shelters the main entrance. The north aisle’s carved details catch the light at different times of day. The south aisle’s plain battlements frame the gravestones outside.