Flag of Gloucestershire
Encyclopedia
The Gloucestershire flag was the winning entry in a competition held by the county's High Sheriff, Jonathan Carr, to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the county in March 2008. In inviting entries, the Sheriff stated that "Several counties, especially in the West of the country
, now have their own flags and I think the Millennium presents a good opportunity for Gloucestershire
to have one of its own".
As with most English counties, Gloucestershire had no official flag, nor was there even a popularly flown, generally accepted one. A banner of the county arms was (and still is) available commercially from a number of flag vendors, but this design, in accordance with the rules of English heraldry
, is the sole legal property of the county council rather than of the county at large, so it is not legal for any individual to fly it.
The new flag has been used during 2008 in publications of the Diocese of Gloucester
, with the arms of the diocese superimposed.
and the yellow Cotswold Stone
." No specific explanation is given for the choice of a cross design, but this is a pattern that has been recently popular for flags chosen for England's counties, such as those of Lincolnshire
, Devon
, Derbyshire
, Dorset
and Cornwall
.
The pantone colours for the flag are:
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
, now have their own flags and I think the Millennium presents a good opportunity for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
to have one of its own".
As with most English counties, Gloucestershire had no official flag, nor was there even a popularly flown, generally accepted one. A banner of the county arms was (and still is) available commercially from a number of flag vendors, but this design, in accordance with the rules of English heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, is the sole legal property of the county council rather than of the county at large, so it is not legal for any individual to fly it.
The new flag has been used during 2008 in publications of the Diocese of Gloucester
Diocese of Gloucester
The Diocese of Gloucester is a Church of England diocese based in Gloucester, covering the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Gloucester...
, with the arms of the diocese superimposed.
Flag design
The flag comprises a cross of mid-blue, outlined (fimbriated) in cream (also described as a pale yellow), against an apple green background. It was designed by Jeremy Bentall, who named it "the Severn Cross" and is quoted as saying that the colours represent features typical of the landscape of Gloucestershire: "The green is representative of our rural county, the blue the River SevernRiver Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
and the yellow Cotswold Stone
Cotswold stone
Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as 'honey' or 'golden'....
." No specific explanation is given for the choice of a cross design, but this is a pattern that has been recently popular for flags chosen for England's counties, such as those of Lincolnshire
Flag of Lincolnshire
A flag for Lincolnshire was unveiled at five separate ceremonies across the county on 24 October 2005. The flag was chosen in a popular vote organised by BBC Radio Lincolnshire along with Lincolnshire Life magazine...
, Devon
Flag of Devon
The Flag of Devon is the flag of the English county of Devon. It is dedicated to Saint Petroc, a local saint with numerous dedications throughout the West Country and particularly in Devon. It is notable for its creation through two web-based polls.-History:...
, Derbyshire
Flag of Derbyshire
The Flag of Derbyshire is the flag of the English county of Derby. Introduced unofficially in 2006, the flag has subsequently been registered at the Flag Institute and added to their UK Flags Register.- History :...
, Dorset
Flag of Dorset
The Flag of Dorset is the flag of the English county of Dorset. The 'Dorset Cross' was chosen as the flag of Dorset on 16 September 2008 following a public vote, open to all Dorset residents, and organised by Dorset County Council. The unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole declined an...
and Cornwall
Saint Piran's Flag
Saint Piran's Flag is the flag of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The earliest known description of the flag as the Standard of Cornwall was written in 1838. It is used by Cornish people as a symbol of identity. It is a white cross on a black background....
.
The pantone colours for the flag are:
- Green 360
- Cream 7402
- Blue 300
External links
- http://www.soglos.com/children/27652/Design-a-Gloucestershire-flag Article on SoGlos.comSoGlos.comSoGlos.com is an online magazine for Gloucestershire covering Cheltenham, the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Stroud and Tewkesbury – with an editorial remit focused on arts, entertainment and leisure.-Overview and ownership:...
- http://www.glos.ac.uk/microsites/gloucestershire1000/news/press/080321.cfm