Information on 1126
Local Authorities


Last updated
14th July 2023


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This website is an ongoing project to collect together in one place information about the coats of arms of local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland both current and obsolete. Since the 2009 structural changes to local government in England (effective 1st April 2009) and the loss of some district/borough councils the arms of current authorities (county, county borough, borough, district, town and parish councils) are now organised on a regional basis. The regions are largely based on Government Office Regions, except the South East Region has been split and the nothern areas of Lincolnshire are included in the East Midlands Region. The arms of obsolete authorities (county borough, urban and rural district councils) are sill organised by county, except Wales which is organised into three sections -pre 1974, 1974-1996 and current (post 1996). Northern Ireland is similarly organised into three sections -pre 1973, 1973-2015 and current (post 2015).

It should be noted that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland arms do not belong to territories or areas, but persons or corporate bodies. In the case of municipal government arms are granted to county, district and borough councils, as corporate bodies. When a county is described as obsolete, I refer to the county council, not the territory itself. All obsolete councils are listed under the administrative county they were in at the time of abolition. Where a county as a whole has been abolished, it is included in a seperate section. Where possible the blazon given is official i.e. as is given on the letters patent, however in some cases I have had to blazon arms myself, these are marked with an asterisk.

In addition some entries also show a heraldic badge. These are part of the armorial bearings and is usually derived from the arms. It is however a seperate bearing in its own right and is never displayed in shield form nor intergrated with other emblems. In the case of local authorities as well as being used to mark property, stationery and appear on car pennants, it functions as a general community emblem.

I wish to thank all the local authority staff and other individuals, for their invaluable help and co-operation in making this undertaking possible. I would also like to thank Gerry Stevens, who kindly donated his entire collection of civic heraldry records to me. Doubtless there are mistakes and any help in rectifying these will be appreciated.

Please note all arms are the property of the grantee and cannot be used by anyone else. In some cases permission has been granted by councils for me to include their arms on this site, where they have not, I consider the arms to be in the public domain and their inclusion as fair use. I do not claim the included arms to be belong to anyone other than the local authorities as described. The images here should not be used by any other person or organisation, in such a way as to indicate they belong to themselves or imply that the local authority is connected with or endorses any product or service.

Please feel free to contact me with comments, suggestions or information about civic heraldry via email.

Please note I am not a genealogist and I cannot help with questions about family coats of arms, family trees and origins of surnames.


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