ARMS: Per chevron Gules and Or a Dragon rampant counterchanged a Chief wavy barry wavy of six Azure and Argent.
CREST: On a Wreath Argent and Azure a Unicorn sejant erect Or armed crined tufted and unguled Sable supporting a Sword erect Argent hilted and pommelled enfiling a representation of the Crown of King Edgar Or.
SUPPORTERS On either side a Sea Stag proper gorged with an ancient Crown of Fleurs-de-Lys Or and charged on the shoulder with a Fountain the whole upon a Compartment composed of two Grassy Mounts divided by Water barry wavy Argent and Azure.
BADGE A Sea Stag erect proper gorged with an ancient Crown of Fleurs de Lys Or and charged on the shoulder with a Fountain.

Granted 15th December 1976.

The County of Avon was formed in 1974 from the City of Bath, the City and County of Bristol, the southern part of the County of Glocestershire and the northern part of the County of Somerset. It was abolished in 1996.

The six blue and white waves represent the River Avon, from which the County derived its name, and its six constituent districts. They are also indicative of the Severn and the coastal areas. The dragon is associated with both Wessex and Celtic Britain and Avon has historical links with both cultures. The Wessex dragon is sometimes red, as in the arms of the Somerset and Wiltshire County Councils, sometimes gold, as in those of the Dorset County Council and several civic authorities in the area. The British dragon is red also. The dual link is thus represented by the dragon divided into gold and red by a chevron-shaped partition line, derived from the Gloucestershire shield.
The wreath and mantling are in white and blue, the heraldic colours for water as seen in the six Avon waves in the Shield. The crest combines the unicorn of Bristol with the sword of St. Paul (one of the patron saints of Bath Abbey) and the crown of King Edgar, who was crowned King of all England by St. Dunstan in Bath Abbey on Whit Sunday AD 973. The sword and crown also occur in the arms of Bath.
The sea-stags, never before used in civic heraldry, represent the fusion of two characteristic features of Avon - sea and forest. The historic importance of the Avon ports is linked with that of the Royal Forests which covered a large part of the County. Each stag is a "stag royal", i.e. with six tynes on each antler, and has about the neck an ancient crown of fleurs-de-lys to emphasise the royal associations. The heraldic fountains again represent the rivers and springs of the County.
The special compartment represents the Cotswold and Mendip hills, with the River Avon running between.

*ARMS: Per fesse embattled Azure and Gules the base masoned Sable in chief two Bars wavy over all a Sword erect Argent pomel and hilt Or between in base two Crosses bottonee of the third.
*CREST: On a Wreath Argent and Azure issuant a dexter and sinister Cubit Arm habited holding aloft a representation of the Crown of King Edgar proper.
*SUPPORTERS: On the dexter side a Lion and on the sinister side a Bear each standing upon a Branch of Oak fructed proper and charged on the shoulder with a Sword in bend proper hilt and pomel enfiling two Keys in bend sinister addorsed Or.

Motto 'AQUAE SULIS' - The waters of Sulis.
Granted 1971.

The origin of the arms is unknown. However an image of the shield alone can be seen on a map of Bath, dating from around 1568. Throughout history many variations of the arms have been used the following was recorded at the Visitation of 1623 and certified 4th August 1888:-

Waves of the Sea proper a Chief embattled Gules over all a Sword erect Argent pomel and hilt Or the Blade charged with a Key ward in chief and to the sinister Gold.

These arms, however, were never accepted or used by the city corporation. The corporation had tried in 1888 to have the old arms registered, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The city however, adopted in a local resolution, the old arms as official arms. So in practice the corporation use a different coat which may be blazoned:-

Per fesse embattled Azure and Gules the base masoned Sable in chief two Bars wavy over all a Sword erect Argent pomel and hilt Or between in base two Crosses bottonee of the third.

These arms also appear in the collections of the College of Arms. The shield depicts the city wall, the mineral springs and the River Avon. The sword is that of St Paul, one of the Patron Saints of the Abbey and City. In 1971 the city officially applied for new arms and augmentation with supporters, crest and badge.
The crest commemorates the coronation of King Edgar in 973, showing the distinctive crown attributed to him. The crown is held aloft by sleeved hands copied from those of St Dunstan in the Edgar Window in the Abbey.
The supporters are a lion and a bear and were previously used unofficially. They are are first mentioned in 1590, but their meaning is unknown. They are however a prominent architectural feature of Bath. The shoulder badges show two keys and a sword, the combined symbols of St. Peter and St. Paul, the two patron saints of the Abbey. The wards of the keys are shown in the shape of the letter B for Bath. The supporters stand on two branches of oak. These refer to King Bladud, legendary founder of Bath, said to have discovered the mineral springs when he was herding his pigs.

"Prince Bladud lived around 800 BC and was the son of Lud Hudibras, King of the Britons. Bladud travelled abroad in his youth and contracted a skin disease, thought to be leprosy. On his return, he was banished from the tribe and found work as a swineherd in the Avon valley. Food was scarce and his pigs became infected and diseased. His search for food brought him to Swainswick, where a farmer advised him to look for acorns on the far side of the river. He came to a place where the pigs began to wallow in hot mud. To entice them out, he climbed an oak tree, collected some acorns and made a trail out of the mud. As the pigs came out, he scraped them clean and found their skin was cleansed and cured. Leaving the pigs to their food, Bladud jumped in and bathed himself in the mud. He emerged to find his skin clear and his disease healed. Bladud returned to the tribe where he later became King. In due course, he sent his servants to Bath to establish a settlement, building a temple by the hot springs around which the City grew."

The motto is the Roman name for the city, meaning the Water of Sul (Minerva). The motto, Floreat Bathon, was also sometimes used.

ARMS: Vert a Stag rampant proper gorged with a Crown of four Fleurs de Lys set upon a Rim attached thereto a Chain reflexed over the back Or all within a Bordure Ermine.
CREST: On a Wreath Or and Vert a demi Lion Or gorged with a Crown of four Fleurs de Lys set upon a Rim attached thereto a Chain reflexed over the back Gules charged on the shoulder with a Splay of three Acorns leaved proper and holding in the paws a Torch Sable enflamed proper.

Motto 'VIGILANDO CUSTODIMUS' - We are the watchful custodians.
Granted 4th November 1974.

The Kingswood District was formed by the amalgamation of the Kingswood Urban District, the Mangotsfield Urban District and the Warmley Rural District. It was abolished in 1996.

The design includes many features of the arms of the former Kingswood UDC. The green background is symbolic of the forest which once covered a substantial part of southern England, the golden stag wearing the Plantagenet Crown of Henry III serving as a reminder of Kingswood's associations with the Royal hunt at a time when the area was known as the King's Chase. The chain worn by the royal stag represents the location of the new Kingswood in the King's Chase. The crown of fleurs de lys and colours of the mantling have been taken from the former Kingswood arms and the basic colours of green and gold, have been used to perpetuate the symbolism of the Chase.
The golden lion represents the Royal lions of England and the crown and chain it is wearing are linked with those worn by the stag. The sprig of oak with three acorns symbolises the union of the former Kingswood and Mangotsfield Urban District Councils and Warmley Rural District Council to form Kingswood District Council. The torch represents progress and is coloured black to represent the coal mining industry which once dominated the area.

ARMS: Argent on a Fess wavy Vert between in chief a Lion passant guardant Gules and in base a Thorntree issuant fructed proper a Pair of Wings between two Garbs Or.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours out of the battlements of a Tower proper a Cross crosslet fitchy Argent the shaft entwined with a Stafford Knot Or.
SUPPORTERS On the dexter side a Wyvem wings expanded and addorsed Vert and on the sinister side a Cockatrice Or combed beaked and wattled Gules wings expanded and addorsed Azure each holding aloft in the interior claw a Clarion Or.
BADGE On a Mount a Thorntree fructed proper thereon a Lion passant guardant Gules.

Motto 'FIDES IN CIVES' - Faithfulness towards our fellow citizens.
Granted 12th April 1977.

The Northavon District was formed by the amalgamation of part of the Sodbury Rural District and part of the Thornbury Rural District. It was abolished in 1996.

The shield combines the principal emblems from the arms of the former Sodbury and Thornbury Rural District Councils. The white background is like that of the arms of the Sodbury RDC. The green wave represents the Vales of Berkeley and Sodbury, its edges suggesting the Rivers Severn and Frome. The two gold wheatsheaves represent the agriculture of the two Rural Districts and between them a pair of gold wings, taken from the arms of the Thornbury RDC, alludes to the important aircraft industry at Filton and Patchway. Above the wave is one of the red lions from Sodbury's shield, and below is the punning "Thorn-berry" tree from the crest of Thornbury.
The battlements of the crest recall the historic associations of Thornbury Castle and out of these rises the white crosslet of the Howards, entwined with a gold Stafford knot.
The green wyvern and cockatrice representing respectively the Beaufort and the De la Warr families. Each supporter holds one of the gold clarions from Sodbury's shield, taken from the arms of Keynsham Abbey which once held the manor of Marshfield. These clarions were also the arms of the Cranvilles and provide a passing reference to the Battle of Lansdown from which Sir Basil Cranville was carried, mortally wounded, to Cold Ashton.