| 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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| AMMANFORD TOWN COUNCIL |
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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. |
| 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. |
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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. |
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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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| 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. |
| 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. |
| MAESTEG TOWN COUNCIL |
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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. |
| 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. |
| 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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