skip to main content

ABC Flag Blog

All about county flags from the Association of British Counties

Historic Counties Blogs
Search for:
 Menu

» 2012 » January

Caernarfonshire

Three gold eagles in fess ( arranged horizontally) on a green field, is a banner of the arms attributed to Owain King of Gwynedd whose kingdom covered most of the present day county. This same pattern of three gold eagles on a green field was mentioned by … Continue reading

12 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Buckinghamshire

A white swan on a bicolour field of red and black is a traditional emblem of Buckinghamshire. The Swan emblem dates back to Anglo-Saxon times when Buckinghamshire was known for breeding swans for the king. The same pattern is also used on its arms by … Continue reading

12 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Middlesex

The same seaxes as used in Essex were also used in Middlesex which originally formed part of the early Essex kingdom. In 1910 the addition of a Saxon crown, from the College of Arms, gave a distinct set of arms to Middlesex County Council. With the demise of … Continue reading

12 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Sussex

The six gold martlets (heraldic swallows) on a blue field have been associated with the county of Sussex for centuries. They featured in John Speed’s 1611 atlas on a map the depicting the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, attesting to its venerable status. The emblem is used by a … Continue reading

12 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Kent

Along with emblems for Essex and Sussex, the Kent horse was were notably featured in the celebrated county atlas produced by John Speed in 1611 on a map depicting the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Long believed to have been based on a local tradition, referencing local tales … Continue reading

12 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Cornwall

Possibly the oldest of the county flags is that of Cornwall (although many Cornishmen of course would assert that it is in fact a national flag!). This plain white cross on a black field, named the Cross of Saint Piran, has been used since at … Continue reading

12 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Somerset

The flag depicts the traditional dragon emblem of Somerset, a design first promoted as the county flag by Ed Woods in 2006. The red dragon has been used for the last century by the local county council as their coat of arms but it is ultimately derived from the … Continue reading

1 January 2012 31 July 2024 5 responses

Hampshire

  The Hampshire county flag was conceived in 2008 by Jason Saber who substituted the highly restricted royal crown used by the county council with a Saxon style crown to recall Hampshire’s history as the home of Alfred the Great’s capital, Winchester. The form of … Continue reading

1 January 2012 31 July 2024 3 responses

Glamorgan

The  flag is a banner of the arms of Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the last Welsh ruler of Morgannwg, a kingdom that once covered the territory of the county of Glamorgan. The design, featuring three silver chevronels on a red field, has appeared extensively in the … Continue reading

1 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Flintshire.

The flag is the armorial banner of the arms attributed to the local Dark Age ruler, Edwin of Tegeingl, a former kingdom that covered much of the territory of Flintshire.   The arms bore a black engrailed cross, i.e. a cross with scalloped edges and floral ends – … Continue reading

1 January 2012 31 July 2024 start the discussion

Contact Us • Terms & Conditions • M Fielding Design Copyright © 2011- The Association of British Counties.