DERWENTSIDE DISTRICT COUNCIL |
ARMS: Barry wavy of eight Argent and Azure an Eagle displayed wings inverted Or gorged with a Mural Crown proper pendent therefrom by a Ring a Cross of St. Cuthbert and charged on each wing with a like Cross Azure. Motto 'DONEC DEFLUENT AMNIS' - Until the river ceases to flow. The Derwentside District was formed by the amalgamation of the Consett Urban District, the Stanley Urban District and the Lanchester Rural District. The area was abolished on 31st March 2009, and became part of the County Durham Unitary Authority. |
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The background of eight white and blue waves refers to the River Derwent, from which the District rakes its name, and the Derwent and other reservoirs, and the Rivers Deerness and Browney. The gold Roman Eagle is suggested by that in the insignia of the Lanchester RDC. This refers to the concentration of important Roman antiquities in the District - Dere Street, the Roman sites of Longovicium (Lanchester) and Vindomora (Ebchester in Consett) and the Roman cattle station in Stanley. Around its neck is a white ribbon from which hangs the distinctive cross of St. Cuthbert, seen in the arms of the Stanley UDC and the device of the Lanchester RDC. It is here coloured blue and refers to the numerous associations of the whole district with Durham's patron saint. |
DURHAM CITY COUNCIL |
ARMS: Sable a Cross Argent surmounted by another Cross Gules. Motto 'FAITH FORSIGHT AND INDUSTRY'. The City of Durham was formed by the amalgamation of the City of Durham and Framwelgate, the Brandon and Byshottles Urban District and the Durham Rural District. The area was abolished on 31st March 2009, and became part of the County Durham Unitary Authority. In 2018 a new parish council was formed, initially known as the City of Durham Parish Council, to represent the core urban area of Durham. Image from the Heraldry Society Image Library. |
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The shield is that of the former City of Durham and Framwelgate, when the new, larger, city was formed in 1974, Garter King of Arms added a crest and supporters for the larger area.
Durham owes its origin to the monks who, late in the tenth century, founded the Church to contain the shrine of St Cuthbert. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the arms of the City should be of a religious character. The habit of the Benedictine monks who were installed in the present Cathedral consisted of a white cassock and a black cloak, and this may have suggested the tinctures of the City arms, the red cross being added as the emblem of the national patron, St George. |
EASINGTON DISTRICT COUNCIL |
ARMS: Tierced in pairle reversed Vert Sable and Azure in chief a Garb and a Miner's Lamp Or and in base on Water barry wavy a Cargo Steamer affrontée proper. Motto 'BY COURAGE AND FAITH'. The Easington District was formed by the amalgamation of the Seaham Urban District and a majority of the Easington Rural District. The area was abolished on 31st March 2009, and became part of the County Durham Unitary Authority. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The emblems refer to coal mining, shipping and agriculture. |
SEDGEFIELD BOROUGH COUNCIL |
ARMS: Quarterly Gules and Sable an Orle counterchanged over all in chief two Garbs and in base a Locomotive Driving Wheel Or. Motto 'SERVE WITH HONOUR' The Borough of Sedgefield was formed by the amalgamation of the Shildon Urban District, the Spennymoor Urban District, part of the Darlington Rural District and the Sedgefield Rural District. The area was abolished on 31st March 2009, and became part of the County Durham Unitary Authority. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The red and black quarterly background of the shield are from the arms of the Spennymoor UDC, as the Council's Headquaters are based in the town. The two sheaves of corn, like those in the arms of the Sedgefield RDC and the Darlington RDC, refer to agriculture. The locomotive wheel depicts Shildon's link with railway engineering, which was refered to by the locomotive 'Royal George' in the device of the Shildon UDC. The 'orle' represents the merger of the four former authorities into one. |
WEAR VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL |
ARMS: Azure a Fess wavy Argent between in chief in front of two Shepherd's Crooks in saltire Argent a Mitre affronty encircled with a Coronet Or the infulae entwined with the crooks and in base a Castle of three towers Or. Granted 22nd May 1975. The Wear Valley District was formed by the amalgamation of the Bishop Auckland Urban District, the Crook and Willington Urban District, the Tow Law Urban District and the Weardale Rural District. The area was abolished on 31st March 2009, and became part of the County Durham Unitary Authority. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The blue background is like that of the arms of the Durham County Council and the Bishopric with which it is so closely associated, and the white W-shaped wave represents the River Wear. The gold crowned mitre of the Bishops of Durham, is seen in the device of Bishop Auckland, with its infulae entwined with two crossed shepherds' crooks in white - a reference to Crook and Willington and to both senses of the 'pastoral staff' for the Bishop's crozier is only an elaboration of the shepherd's crook, one such also appearing in the Bishop Auckland device. The castle alludes to Dan's Castle, which has associations with Tow Law, the Bishop's Castle at Auckland and Stanhope Castle in Weardale. |
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