| CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS OF WALES |
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Map from Wikipedia |
Welsh Language forms are given in parentheses, except where English uses the Welsh form.
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| ABERGAVENNY TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF Y FENNI |
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ARMS: Gules a Saltire Argent between a Rose in chief and two Fleurs-de-Lis in fesse and a Portcullis chained in base Or.
Motto 'HOSTES NUNC AMICI' - Foes now friends. |
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The white saltire is from the heraldry of Nevill, Marquess of Abergavenny. The rose and portcullis were used as badges by the Nevills to indicate their descent from Joan de Beaufort, daughter of John of Gaunt and wife of Nevill, first Earl of Westmorland. The fleurs-de-lis, royal emblems, denote the Marquess's descent, through John of Gaunt, from Edward III. |
| ABERYSTWYTH TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF ABERYSTWYTH |
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ARMS: Or in chief two Lymphads Sable sails furled Argent flags and pennons flying to the sinister Gules and in base an open Book proper bound also Gules and clasped Gold inscribed on the pages with the Arabic numerals 1277 fessewise also Sable.
Motto 'GORAU MOES GWASANAETH' - The best way of life is service. |
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The black ships record Aberystwyth's past importance as a port and ship building industry. The open book represents academic aspects in the town's life as represented by the University College of Wales and the National Library of Wales. The date 1277 is the date of the original Charter granted by Edward I. |
| AMMANFORD TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF RHYDAMAN |
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ARMS: Per fesse dancetté Or and Sable in chief a Cross couped of the last.
Motto 'HANFOD TREF TREFN' - The essential of a good town is orderliness. |
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The ancient ecclesiastical Parish of Betws and its beadhouse is represented by a cross on the golden shield. The cross also represents 'Cross Inn', which was the name by which the village was known before the district became urbanized. The hills of the district are shown in the black peaks at the bottom of the shield, and the basic coal industry is shown as a black base to the shield itself. The river Amman which passes through the district has its source in the Black Mountain. |
| BARRY TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF Y BARRI |
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ARMS: Or three Bars gemel Gules between in chief two Fleurs-de-Lys Azure and in base a Dragon passant of the second.
Motto 'CADERNID CYFIAWNDER CYNNYDD' - Stability, justice, progress. |
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The bars gemel or pairs of barrulets are from the arms of the De Barri family and the fleurs-de-lis are from the heraldry of Lord Davies of Llandinam. The red dragon is that of Wales. |
| BLAENAVON TOWN COUNCIL |
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ARMS: Quarterly wavy Sable and Or in the first and fourth quarters a Key wards upwards and to the dexter and in the second and third quarters a Lozenge all counterchanged.
Motto 'AT SPES NON FRACTA' - Yet hope is not broken. |
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The black lozenges refer to the coal industry. The keys, crest and motto are derived from the heraldry of the Kennard fmily, who concerned in the formation of the Blaenavon Coal and Iron Company. |
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BLAENAU GWENT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL BLAENAU GWENT |
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*ARMS: Paly wavy of six Argent and Vert on a Chief dancetty of three points downward per pale Azure and Sable three Fleurs de Lys Or. Motto 'UNBED A RHYDDID' - Unity and freedom. The former Borough of Blaenau Gwent was formed by the amalgamation of the Abertillery Urban District, the Brynmawr Urban District, the Ebbw Vale Urban District, the Nantyglo and Blaina Urban District, the Tredegar Urban District and part of the Crickhowell Rural District. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The shield is a kind of heraldic map illustrating the County Borough's name (Where the valleys meet the mountains of Gwent). The six white and green waves represent the
three main valleys and rivers of Sirhowy, Ebbw and Clydach where all the five former
constituent areas lie. The three indentations at the top of the shield allude to the mountains above which are the three gold fleurs-de-lys on blue and black from
the ancient arms of the Kingdom of Gwent and the modern arms of the Gwent (formerly Monmouthshire) County Council. |
| BRECON TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF ABERHONDDU |
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ARMS: Vert a Pall wavy Argent thereon another Azure over all a Mantle of Estate Gules doubled Ermine.
Motto 'CANMOL DY FRO A THRIG YNO' - Commend thy locality and dwell therein. |
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The red mantle lined with ermine is a device long associated with the Town of Brecon and which for more than 400 years has been the Borough Badge. The white and blue wavy pall represents the three rivers which have their confluence at Brecon, namely the Usk, the Honddu and the Tarell. These are placed upon a green field representing the countryside. |
| BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL PEN-Y-BONT AR OGWR |
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ARMS: Per chevron raguly per pale Or and Gules and Argent in chief on the dexter a Lozenge Sable and on the sinister a Garb Or and in base three Barrulets wavy Azure thereon a Dolphin naiant embowed proper. Motto 'ONWARD WITH CONFIDENCE'. The former Borough of Ogwr was formed by the amalgamation of the Bridgend Urban District, the Maesteg Urban District, the Ogmore and Garw Urban District, the Porthcawl Urban District and the Penybont Rural District. The Bridgend County Borough was formed on 1st April 1996 from the former Ogwr Borough, apart from the communities of Wick, St. Bride's Major and Ewenny, which were transferred to the Vale of Glamorgan. |
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The black diamond, as the in the arms of the Maesteg UDC and the Penybont RDC, symbolises the coal industry in the area and the golden wheatsheaf, like those in the crest of the Bridgend UDC, signifies agriculture. The ragged line represents a part of the heritage coastline and the Borough's association with the sea is depicted by a green dolphin on three wavy blue lines. |
| BRIDGEND TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF PEN-Y-BONT AR OGWR |
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ARMS: Vert a Salmon leaping to the dexter proper on a Chief Sable a Bridge of two arches masoned Or.
Motto 'A VO PENN BIT PONT' - He who will be chief, let him be a bridge. |
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The green field suggests pasture land and the salmon refers to the name of the River Ogwr. The bridge stands for Bridgend. |
| CARDIFF CITY AND COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR DINAS A SIR CAERDYDD |
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ARMS: Argent on a Mount Vert a Dragon rampant Gules supporting in front of a Leek issuing from the Mount a Flag Staff erect proper flying therefrom to the sinister a Banner of the third charged with three Chevronels of the first.
Motto(above the crest) 'DEFFRO MAE'N DDYDD' - Awake! It is day. |
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The red dragon is the well-known emblem of Wales it holds a standard bearing the arms attributed to Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the last Prince of Glamorgan. The banner also links to the arms used by Cardiff before it obtained its grant, namely the three red chevrons on gold of the Clare Lords of Glamorgan. Thus the Welsh and Norman history of the City is suggested. The leek is, of course, the floral emblem ofWales, and the traditional origin of the leek as a Welsh emblem is the battle of Poictiers. According to Fluellen in Shakespeare's Henry V 'the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps.' An alternative theory is that the true Welsh emblem is not the vegetable leek, but 'St Peter's Leek' - the daffodil. |
| CARMARTHEN TOWN COUNCIL |
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ARMS: Gules a Castle triple-towered between two Ostrich Feathers erect in fesse Argent on each of the outer towers a Cornish Chough proper respecting the centre tower and in base a Lion passant reguardant Or.
Motto 'RHYDDID HEDD A LLWYDDINT' - Freedom, peace and prosperity. |
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The arms were based on a seal in previous use. The feathers are from the insignia of the Princes of Wales, and the lion may have been derived from the arms ascribed to Cadell, Prince of South Wales in the last part of the ninth century. |
| CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR SIR CAERFYRDDIN |
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ARMS: Quarterly indented Or and Gules in the first and fourth quarters a Dragon rampant and in the second and third quarters a Lion rampant all counterchanged.
Motto 'RHYDDID GWERIN FFYNIANT GWLAD' - The freedom of the people is the prosperity of the country. Picture and information courtesy of Laurence Jones. |
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The arms combine the Welsh dragon and the gold lions and indented division from the arms of Rhys ap Tewdwr Mawr, King of South Wales in the eleventh century and his grandson the Lord Rhys whose descendants still form a notable county family. |
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CEREDIGION COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR SIR CEREDIGION
Link to Ceredigion CC Web Site |
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ARMS: Quarterly per pale indented first Sable a Lion rampant reguardant Or second barry wavy of six Argent and Azure a Herring haurient proper third Azure a Garb Or banded Gules and fourth Sable a Chevron between three Roses Argent barbed and seeded proper; The Shield ensigned with a Mural Crown Or. Motto 'GOLUD GWLAD RHYDDID' - A nation's wealth is freedom. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The black lion on gold is based on the arms of Gwaithfoed, a medieval Prince of Ceredigion. The herring and the wheatsheaf represent the fishing industry and agriculture. The chevron and roses are the arms ascribed to Dewi Sant (Saint David), the patron saint of Wales, who has very close associations with Ceredigion.
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| FLINT TOWN COUNCIL |
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ARMS: Per fess wavy Zzure and barry wavy of eight Argent and of the first in chief upon a Rock issuant proper a Castle of two towers Or and in base an Ancient three-masted Ship sail furled pennons flying Gold.
Motto 'CASTELLUM SUPRA FLUVIUM' - A castle on a river . Picture and information courtesy of Laurence Jones. |
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The castle upon a rock and ship are taken from the ancient borough seal and show that Flint is a sea port with a castle. |
| FLINTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR SIR Y FFLINT |
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ARMS: Argent on a Cross engrailed fleury Sable between four Cornish Choughs proper a Mascle of the
field between four Plates. Motto 'GOROU TARIAN, CYFIAWNDER' - The best shield is justice. The County of Flintshire was abolished in 1974. In 1996 it was reformed as a unity authority. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The shield incorporates the arms of Edwin of Tegeingl following an earlier use of these arms on the Common Seal of the County. Edwin is said to have been King of Tegeingl in the Dark Ages - the kingdom covered that part of the present County lying north of a line from Mold to Hawarden. According to one account he was a descendant of Hywel Dda. He founded one of the Fifteen Royal Tribes of North Wales. The County Horticultural College at Northop is near the site of his palace, Llys Edwin. The Choughs in the arms, although designated in the official blazon as Cornish Choughs, were undoubtedly widely distributed throughout Wales in earlier times and are properly regarded as Celtic. |
| HAVERFORDWEST TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF HWLFFORDD |
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ARMS: Barry wavy Argent and Azure a Lymphad sails set proper and flags flying Gules on a Chief Vert a Castle triple-towered between two Plumes each of [three] Ostrich Feathers Argent.
Motto 'O LECTOR SALVE COELI PATEANT TIBI VALVE' - O reader hail, may the Gates of Heaven stand open for thee. |
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The blue and white waves are a reminder of the importance of the Western Cleddau, which was used to bring most of the trade into the centre of Haverfordwest. The ship and the castle are taken from the obverst and reverse of the Common Seal, refering to the port and castle. |
| ISLE OF ANGLESEY COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR SIR YNYS MÔN |
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ARMS: Gules a Chevron between three Lions rampant Or a Bordure barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent. Motto 'MON MAM CYNRU' - Anglesey, Mother of Wales. |
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The chevron and lions, gold on red, show the arms formely used by the Council, the attributive arms of Hwfa ap Cynddelw, one of the Fifteen Peers of North Wales in the twelfth century. The border of blue and white waves depicts that Anglesey is an island. |
| LLANDUDNO TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF LLANDUDNO |
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ARMS: Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent on a Mount in base a representation of the Church of St. Tudno at Llandudno proper on a Chief per pale Or and Gules two Lions passant guardant counterchanged.
Motto 'HARDD HAFAN HEDD' - Beautiful Haven of peace. Property of Llandudno Town Council used with permission. Not to be reproduced without permission. |
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The shield shows the ancient church of St. Tudno on the Great Orme overlooking the sea, represented by the blue and white waves. The two lions from the arms of the Welsh Princes of Gwynedd. |
| MAESTEG TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF MAESTEG |
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ARMS: Or three Lozenges Sable in pale between two Flaunches indented Vert.
Motto 'GORAU GWEITHIO-CYD WEITHIO' - The best service is co-operation. |
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The gold background or field refers to the Maesteg, which means 'fair field'. On either side of the valley in which Maesteg lies are hills and these have been symbolised by the two arcs of a circle, these are green to suggest agriculture and indented to underline the fact that they symbolise hills. The black diamonds are used to symbolise coal; Three are shown on the shield to represent the three collieries, Caerau, Coegnant and St. John's. |
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MERTHYR TYDFIL COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL MERTHYR TUDFUL |
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ARMS: Azure a Figure representing Saint Tydvil the Martyr in chief two Crosses patée fitchée all Or. Motto 'MID CADARN OND BRODYRDDE' - No strength but in fellowship. |
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The central motif is a likeness of St. Tydfil. The town owes its name to Tydfil the daughter of Brychan, a 5th Century Chieftain, who had been converted to Christianity. One of her brothers, Cadoc, became the Patron Saint of Brittany. Tydfil and her family were massacred by a band of marauding Picts and Saxons about AD 480 and it is generally believed that she died on the site of the Parish Church, which bears her name. The shrine of St. Tydfil the Martyr soon became a place of Christian pilgrimage and as the years passed by a village grew up around it. The distaff she is bearing in her hands signifies the industrial history of the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil, and the crosses patée fitchée, resembling daggers are meant to remind us of how she met her death.
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| MONMOUTHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR SIR FYNWY |
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ARMS: Per pale Azure and Sable three Fleurs-de-Lis Or on a Chief of the last two Towers triple towered Gules. Motto 'UTRIQUE FIDELIS' - Faithful to both. |
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The gold fleurs-de-lis upon blue and black are the arms of the ancient Kingdom of Gwent. The castles are the arms of the ancient Princes of Gwent and also refer to the many castles situated in the County. |
| PEMBROKE TOWN COUNCIL |
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ARMS: Or six Chevronels Gules within a Bordure quarterly Argent and Azure charged with twelve Martlets those on the Argent of the second and those on the Azure of the field.
Motto 'UNG NOUS SERVONS' - We serve as one. |
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The chevronels are those of Gilbert de Clare, first Earl of Pembroke, while in the border the red martlets on white are from the arms of William de Valence, Earl of Pembroke 1251-96, and the gold martlets on blue are from the arms of Jasper Tudor who was created Earl of Pembroke in 1453. |
| PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR SIR PENFRO |
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ARMS: Quarterly first and fourth per fesse Gules and Or in chief a Lion passant and in base two Fleur-de-lys counterchanged second and third Argent two Bars Gules over all a Cross Sable and a Bordure Argent charged with eight Martlets and as many Ermine Spots Sable. Motto 'EX UNITATE VIRES' - Strength from unity. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The fleurs-de-lys, lions and martlets are from the arms of Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, whose arms (Quarterly
France and England within a Bordure Azure charged with eight Martlets Or) were formerly used by the County. The Tudors were closely associated with Pembrokeshire, and Henry VII was born at Pembroke Castle. |
| POWYS COUNTY COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR SIR POWYS |
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ARMS: Per chevron bevilled Or and Sable three Fountains proper. Motto 'POWYS PARADWYS CYMRU' - Powys, the paradise of Wales. |
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The gold background symbolises the wealth of the area, and the black, both mining and the Black Mountains. The heraldic fountains represents water and, therefore, both refers to the water catchment area and the rivers and lakes. Three fountains have been placed on the shield to produce a distinctive design and can also be seen as refering to the three former counties amalgamated into Powys. |
| RHONDDA CYNON TAFF COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ~ |
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*ARMS: Or three Chevronels Gules on a Chief wavy barry wavy of fore Argent and Azure a Celestial Crown between two Acorns Or. Motto 'ADSUMUS UT ADIUVEMUS'. The County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff was formed on 1st April 1996 by the amalgamation of the Borough of Cynon Valley, the Borough of Rhondda and the Borough of Taff-Ely (with the exceptions of Creigiau and Pentyrch, which were added to Cardiff). |
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The three red chevronels on gold, as seen in the arms of the Mid Glamorgan County Council and the crest of former Borough of Rhondda, are from the arms of the Clare Family, who held the medieval lordship of Glamorgan. The blue and white wavy chief is taken from the arms of the former Borough of Cynon Valley, and refers to local rivers. The acorns come from arms of Rhondda, where they represented the ancient forest and the growth of new industries. The celestial crown is taken from the arms of the former Borough of Taff Ely, and its predecessor Llantrisant and Llantwit Fardre RDC. |
| RHYL TOWN COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR TREF Y RHYL |
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ARMS: Tenny a Pile barruly wavy Argent and Azure over all a Fish-Weir Sable staked Gules in fess between a Lymphad sail set pennon and flags flying Gules and in base a Salmon naiant proper.
Motto 'YR HAFAN DÊG AR FIN Y DÔN' - The fair haven at the edge of the waves. |
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The basic colour of the shield is known as Tenny, derived from the French word Tenné, meaning a tawny colour, and is a direct reference to one of the possible meanings of the name Rhyl, namely a sandbank, and also to the beaches for which the resort is justly famous. The colour is a very rarely used heraldic tincture and the arms have the unique distinction of being the first civic arms in the British Isles to be granted with a Tenny field. The blue and white pile symbolises the sea and port at Rhyl giving access to the River Clwyd. The word "Clwyd" includes amongst its meanings a moveable hurdle or wattle and the River Clwyd is represented by the wattle extending across the shield. The heraldic ship and the salmon in the shield represent the sailing which was popular at the resort and both the fishing industry and the fishing sport of the resort. The colour red has been used in design as a reference to the Principality of Wales. |
| TORFAEN COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL TORFAEN |
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ARMS: Quarterly Or and Gules overall a Fess Argent charged with two Barrulets wavy Azure first and fourth quarter a Lozenge Sable charged with a Garb Or second and third quarters a Crow wings addorsed proper holding in its dexter claw a Japanned Vase Or. Motto 'UNITED WE SERVE'. The former Borough of Torfaen was formed by the amalgamation of the Blaenavon Urban District, the Cwmbran Urban District, the Pontypool Urban District, part of the Magor and St Mellons Rural District and part of the Pontypool Rural District. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The blue wavy lines represent the Afon Lwyd (Grey River) which runs the length of
Gwent's Eastern Valley. The Afon Lwyd runs through the three towns of Pontypool, Blaenavon and Cwmbram, before industry came to the area and made it dirty the river was called the Torfaen (Rock Breaker), because of its speed. The black diamonds, like those in the arms of the Blaenavon UDC, depict coal and the wheatsheaves represent the Borough's agriculture. The crow derives from Cwmbran (Valley of the Crow or blackbird), being the traditional emblem of the town, the vases held by the crows depict Pontypool Japanware, one of the area's most famous industries of the past. |
| VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL BRO MORGANNWG |
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ARMS: Per pale Or and Gules a Pile counterchanged over all three Chevronels per pale and per pile Argent and Gules. Motto 'UNDOD CADERNID CYNNYDD' - Unity Strength Progress. The former Borough of Vale of Glamorgan was formed by the amalgamation of the Borough of Barry, the Borough of Cowbridge, the Penarth Urban District, part of the Cardiff Rural District and part of the Cowbridge Rural District. |
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The arms combine the three white chevronels on red attributed to Iestyn ap Gwrgant, ruler of Glamorgan, and the three red chevronels on gold of the de Clare family. The pile or V-shaped device issuing from the top of the shield provides an outline of the initial letter of the Vale and its wedge shape may also be taken to be a very simple picture of a vale. |
| WREXHAM COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ~ CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL WRECSAM |
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ARMS: Vert semee of Ermine spots Argent two Crosiers in saltire on a Chief wavy Or a Lion passant guardant Azure. Motto 'LABOR OMNIA VINCIT' - Hard work overcomes all things. The Borough of Wrexham Maelor was formed by the amalgamation of the Borough of Wrexham, the Maelor Rural District, part of the Harwarden Rural District and part of the Wrexham Rural District. Picture used with permission, do not reproduce. |
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The green field is common with the arms of the Wrexham RDC and the ermine spots are from the arms of the Borough of Wrexham. The crossed crosiers common to the arms of both former Wrexham authorities, represent Valle Crucis Abbey and it is said the grazing land in the district. The blue lion on gold is from the heraldry of the Hanmers of Maelor and the wave represents the River Dee in an heraldic map of the new area. |
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