Allexton is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the Harborough district of

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

, England. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 58. At the 2011 census the population of the village remained less than 100. Details are included in the civil parish of Horninghold. The village's name means 'farm/settlement of Æthellac or Athellak'. The

Eye Brook The Eye Brook is a watercourse in the East Midlands of England and a tributary of the River Welland. It is around long. Course The Eye Brook rises between Tilton on the Hill and Skeffington in Leicestershire and flows east through a narrow v ...

forms the county boundary with

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

, on the other side of which is Belton-in-Rutland. It is also the boundary between the dioceses of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

and

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

. The A47 runs east–west between the villages and the Hallaton Road links Allexton with

Hallaton Hallaton is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 523, which had increased to 594 at the 2011 census. History and description The village's ...

. The parish church of St Peter's, Allexton is in the care of the

Churches Conservation Trust The Churches Conservation Trust is a registered charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk in England. The charity cares for over 350 churches of architectural, cultural and historic significance, which have been transferred in ...

. The parish has been merged with Hallaton as part of the united benefice with the parishes of East Norton, Tugby, Slawston and Horninghold. St Peter's Church was originally built between 1160 and 1180 but there have been several modifications, including the additions of a tower and side aisles, and a major restoration in 1862 by William Millican. Allexton is a farming parish of around 1000 acres with a mixture of arable, grazing and woodland. The grazing is for sheep and horses and there is an equestrian centre at Allexton Hall. Two lakes and woodland surrounding the hall provide fishing and shooting facilities. Until the 1920s almost all the houses and land were part of the Allexton Hall estate. The only old houses are the Old Rectory, Bridge House (formerly the Wilson's Arms) and the Cottage. The current Hall was rebuilt in 1902 but there have been other buildings on the site since Tudor times. In the 13th century the Lord lived in a fortalice (a moated manor house) the remains of which lie buried in a field adjacent to the present hall.

References

* Vivian Anthony - The Survival of a Village: The History of Allexton - 2009 Pub. Spiegl Press

External links

* * Villages in Leicestershire Civil parishes in Harborough District {{Leicestershire-geo-stub