ARMS: Azure Or a Cross Or square pierced of the field between four Lions rampant Argent each ducally crowned Gold and grasping in the dexter claw a Sword in bend sinister proper pommel and hilt also Gold as many Lozenges Sable in the fess point a Rose Argent barbed and seeded proper; the Shield ensigned with a Mural Crown Gold.
BADGE A Roundel Argent charged with three Bars wavy Azure overall a Lion rampant as in the Arms the whole environed by a Chaplet of Wheat Or and debruising a Cross flory Gold.

Picture used with permission, do not reproduce.

Granted 10th May 1974.

The Arms are based on those of the former County Council granted in 1961. Before that date the Council had used the Arms of the See of Durham because the Council could be said to have succeeded, in some measure, to the palatinate juristiction formerly enjoyed by the palatine Bishops of Durham. In order to stress this succession the lions are now depicted grasping swords and wearing coronets, used by the Bishops in conjunction with the mitre. As a further mark of difference the cross was charged with five black diamonds, which are generally used to represent coal and the industries dependent upon it. In 1974 the former County's area of juristiction was greatly altered, pricipally by the addition of an area of the North Riding of Yorkshire. In order to recognise this alteration the central lozenge in the former Arms has been replaced by a white rose.
The Arms were ensigned by a mural crown in the manner normally reserved for County Councils.

ARMS: Gules in chief a Castle and in base a Cross formy the uppermost limb between a Crescent and an Estoile of seven rays all within an Orle Argent.
CREST: Out of a Coronet composed of six Cross-crosslets set upon a Rim Or a Rock proper thereon a Boar passant Argent holding with the dexter forehoof a Bow in bend Gules; Mantled Gules doubled Argent.

Motto 'NEC TEMERE NEC TIMIDE' - Neither rashly nor timidly.
Granted 4 September 1959, to the Barnard Castle Urban District Council.

Picture used with permission, do not reproduce.

ARMS: Per pale Azure and Gules on a Chevron Argent between in chief a representation of St. Cuthbert's Cross proper and a Shorthorn Bull's Head caboshed and in base a Garb Or enfiled by a Circlet of Steel proper a Chevronel wavy Azure on a Chief Argent a representation of the Steam Engine "Locomotion" and a Tender proper.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours on a Mount Vert issuing from a Mural Crown Or two Lions rampant combatant Argent supporting between them with the forelegs a Civic Mace Or.
SUPPORTERS: On the dexter a Lion crowned with a Crest Coronet Or on the sinister a Wyvern sejant severing the neck a Falchion proper hilt and pommel Or.

Motto 'OPTIMA PETAMUS' - Let us seek the best.
Granted 1974?

The steam engine recalls the Stockton and Darlington Railway's first steam engine "Locomotion", which dates from 1825. The St. Cuthberts cross commemorates the legend of the monks of Lindisfarne fleeing the Danish invaders, who carried with them the body of the Saint and eventually came to Darlington. On the spot where the body lay an early Saxon Church was built, hence the dedication of the parish church. Both the engine and the cross featured in the arms of the County Borough of Darlington. The bull's head represents Darlington's history as a market town, and the pioneering experiments in breeding shorthorn cattle, which took place in the area. The wavy chevron, the wheatsheaf and the circlet of steel, refer to the River Tess, agriculture and local industry. All these emlems are derived from the arms of the Darlington RDC.
The mural crown is a symbol of civic government, as is the mace. The two lions from the former Darlington crest are derived from the arms of the See of Durham and hence link also with the arms of the County Council.
The supporters are also derived from those of the former County Borough, with their positions reversed. They where added to commemorate the Queen's visit in 1967, the lion being a royal emblem. The wyvern refers to the legend of the slaying of the "Sockburn Worm" by Sir John Conyers. The Manor of Sockburn lies a few miles south east of Darlington, on the River Tees. The estates were granted to the Conyers family by the King soon after the Norman Conquest, in recognition of the brave deed. A condition attached to the gift is that the first time a new Bishop of Durham enters the diocese he must be presented with the falchion as he crosses Croft Bridge.

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.
CREST: On a wreath of the Colours in front of Flames a Miner's Pick head upwards in pale and two Swords points upwards in saltire proper hilts and pomels Or pendent from the Pick by a Chain Argent a Roman Shield Sable charged with a Thunderbolt and on a Bordure Or ten Pellets.
BADGE A Fountain charged with an Eagle as in the Arms.

Motto 'DONEC DEFLUENT AMNIS' - Until the river ceases to flow.
Granted 8th May 1975.

The Derwentside District was formed by the amalgamation of the Consett Urban District, the Stanley Urban District and the Lanchester Rural District.

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.
The flames and crossed swords, from the arms of the Consett UDC, represent the steel industry and the pick, also from the Lanchester devive, indicates coal mining. From it hanging by its steel chain, is the Roman Shield from the crest of the Stanley UDC, with its black background and circles for coalmining, and gold thunderbolt for the Pontop Pike Broadcasting Station.
The motto is appropriately in Latin to link with the Roman eagle, and is taken from Horace's Epistles, and the two D's indicate Derwentside District.

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.
CREST: On a Wreath Or and Azure a Pick and Spade in saltire Sable hafts downward and tied with a Ribbon Or.

Motto 'BY COURAGE AND FAITH'.
Granted 28th September 1951, to the Seaham Urban District Council.

The Easington District was formed by the amalgamation of the Seaham Urban District and a majority of the Easington Rural District.

Picture used with permission, do not reproduce.

The emblems refer to coal mining, shipping and agriculture.

ARMS: Gules on a Chevron Argent between three Garbs Or banded Vert a Grenade Sable fired proper all within a Bordure Or.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours on a Limestone Cliff an Oak Tree fructed with broken branch and another growing therefrom proper.
SUPPORTERS: On either side a Lion Argent holding in the interior paw in a Steel Gaunlet a Cross Patonce Gold.

Motto 'NON MINIMA SED MAXIMA PETIMUS' - Not the least but the greatest we seek.?
Granted 20th September 1956, to the Aycliffe Development Corporation and later transferred to the Town Council.

Picture used with permission, do not reproduce.

The gold border represents the bounderies of the designated site of the new town of Newton Aycliffe and the white chevron alludes to the bridge over St. Cuthbert's Way linking the town with Aycliffe Trading Estate. The sheaves of corn are taken from the arms of the Eden Family, of whose Estate the site of the new town formed a part, and the grenade represents the Royal Ordnance Factory out of which the Trading Estate was converted.
The oak tree is a refers to the oak forests which formerly covered this part of the country from which wall taken the Saxon name "Acle" meaning "oak leaf" from which the name of Aycliffe was derived. One of the branches of the oak tree is broken and bent down to indicate the disappearance from the area of its oak forests and with a lesser branch the letter "A" thus forming a rebus on Aycliffe. The limestone cliff is included as a geological allusion.
The white lions are from the arms of the See of Durham, differenced with mail gauntlets in allsion to the military activities of the old Bishops of Durham. The crosses pattonce are derived from an old form of the arms of the See.

ARMS: Quarterly Gules and Sable an Orle counterchanged over all in chief two Garbs and in base a Locomotive Driving Wheel Or.
CREST: On a Wreath Argent and Gules an Oak Sapling of three branches the centre branch fructed proper the other two each enfiled by a Mascle Sable.
SUPPORTERS On the dexter side a Lion guardant Argent resting the dexter forepaw upon a Pick head downwards Or and on the sinister side a Panther also Argent incensed proper resting the sinister forepaw upon a Shovel Or all upon a Compartment composed of a Grassy Mound with a Railway Track set palewise thereon proper.
BADGE: A Mascle Sable surmounting an Oak Sapling of three branches eradicated and fructed proper and enfiling the branch on the sinister side.

Motto 'SERVE WITH HONOUR'
Granted 25th April 1975.

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.

Picture used with permission, do not reproduce.

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.
The red and white of the wreath are the colours of St. George, showing that these are English arms. The two black dimonds are symbols of coal. The acorn and oak branch growing through the diamonds represent the New Town of Newton Aycliffe, with its new industries gradually growing through and replacing the coal industry. The first syllable of Aycliffe is derived from the Saxon for oak.
The white lion is derived from the arms of the Durham County Council, here shown looking forward. The white panther breathing flames, refers to the engineering of the area and its furnaces. The pick and shovel are further reminders of the former coal industry. The railway track depicts the historical connection with the birth of the railways at Shildon, and the green grass outlines the connection with the District's rural areas.

ARMS: Quarterly Gules and Sable a Cross Or charged with ten Gouttes de Sang in the first and fourth quarters a Lion rampant Argent and in the second and third quarters a Fleurs-de-Lys Gold.
CREST: Standing upon the Battlements of a Mural Crown a Salamander Sable enflamed proper grasping with the dexter claw a Sword erect also proper hilt and pomel Or.

Motto 'SPE NEMO RUET' - With hope nobody shall fail.
Granted 25th March 1952, to the Spennymoor Urban District Council.

Picture used with permission, do not reproduce.

The red and black quarters symbolise furnaces and coal workings. The lions and fleurs-de-lys are derived from the arms of the Attwoods and Coulsons, the two principal families responsible for the rise of Spennymoor. The gold cross is from the arms of the Durham County Council, and the blood-red drops recalls the combat at Butcher's Race which played a great part in the Battle of Neville's Cross.
The mural crown is emblematic of local government, here coloured black to denote the association with the coal industry. The salamander is from the arms of the Shafto family, but here coloured all black and holding a sword refering to the steel industry.
The motto plays on the name of the town, and also refers to the spirit which saved Durham at Butcher's Race and the faith which animated the pioneers of Spennymoor industries.

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.
CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours issuant from a Mural Crown Argent charged with six Lozenges three being manifest Sable a representation of the Killhope Wheel proper.
SUPPORTERS On the dexter side a Boar Or armed and langued Gules and on the sinister side a Wolf Or each standing upon a Branch of Oak fructed proper.

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.

Picture used with permission, do not reproduce.

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.
The mural or walled crown, is a common symbol of local government, here in white as a reference to limestone quarrying. It is charged with three black diamonds from the County arms, an obvious allusion to the coal-mining industry, and from it rises the distinctive Weardale monument to the old lead-mining industry, Killhope Wheel.
The boar and wolf are historic denizens of Weardale Forest, represented by the branches of oak on which they stand. The Romans hunted wild boar in the Forest and the Weardale wolves are remembered in the name of Wolf's Cleugh near Stanhope. One of the supporters of the arms of the Stanhope family, of whom sprang Lord Weardale, was a gold wolf, and both supporters are shown in this colour.