Allerdale's Coat of Arms
What does the Coat of Arms represent?
The Coat of Arms is designed especially for
Allerdale. It symbolises the history and culture
of areas within the borough and, in particular, the Coat of
Arms makes reference to the following:
- The agriculture and industry of the Borough
- Allerdale's productivity, scenic beauty and vitality
- Allerdale's mission to administer local government with
fairness, justice and integrity
- The sporting, cultural and touristic opportunities within the
Borough
- Allerdale's maritime life
- The Borough's educational role
- Allerdale's floral life
- Allerdale's mining heritage
- The Romano British heritage of the Borough
- Allerdale's cultural activities, with specific reference
to its poetical legacy
- Individuals and families obliquely referred to, include:-
Fletcher Christian, John Peel, the family of Senhouse, the family
of Egremont, the family of Lowther and the family of Curwen.
- The number seven is represented to allude to the ‘heptapolis’
of Aspatria, Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport, Silloth, Workington
and Wigton
Each element of the Coat of Arms and how it
relates to areas within Allerdale are detailed below:
The Shield
This is the centre piece of the coat of arms.
It represents the theme ‘productivity with
inspiration’. The winged horse of classical mythology is for
inspiration (Pegasus, the inspirer of poets, of engineers, of
inventors etc.); out of the horns of plenty- or cornucopias- grow
wheat, corn, bluebells, daffodils, orchids etc.
Pegasus
This symbolises ease and swiftness
of communications. Legend has it that Pegasus opened the
poetical water courses with a blow of his hoof, so his presence on
the coat of arms represents the stunningly beautiful rivers
and lakes within Allerdale.
This Pegasus is one with a slight difference
as he has a unicorn. The unicorn is a symbol of purity and of
healing. He therefore represents the borough council’s mission to
care and to preserve as well as being an allusion to its commitment
to family health. In the 18th century folk were fond of
saying ‘My Pegusus isn’t working today’, if they meant that their
poetical inspiration had dried up. As it happens, the unicorn’s
horn is used by the families of Christian and Curwen.
The Crest above the helmet
The green mural crown is the symbol of civic
authority. The elephant is used in heraldry for integrity, unity
and magnanimity. Its trunk supports a miner’s pick and the
weathervane on top of its howdah is cast in the form of a ship to
allude to the maritime industry, the ship building of Silloth and
of Maryport and of Workington, and the continued busyness of
maritime trade.
The howdah is a standard fixture, but it is
intended that the oval lunettes should recall thrushes’ eggs and
therefore Wigton where the Council meetings were originally held.
Together the tinctures of the elephant, whether white, gold, green,
red or blue are meant in their various configurations to allude to
the arms of Egremont, Senhouse etc. The weathervane is also a
reference to harnessing the wind’s power as is done between
Workington and Flimby.
The centaur
The supporter on the left is a centaur who not
only recalls the Roman past of the area but, more importantly, he
stands for education, benevolence, hospitality and wisdom.
Education because of the centaurine knowledge of medicine and music
and instruction in all subjects. The centaur was dignified and
noble amongst the Ancients; they were also hill dwellers, which is
appropriate.
The centaur has around his neck a cord on
which hang the two marks of drama, the mask of tragedy and the mask
of comedy; he holds in his left hand a bugle horn to allude to the
musical life of the area; his forelegs support a Crozier which is a
reference to the ecclesiastical and monastic Allerdale. St
Patrick is represented as using one of these croziers as is well
known. The centaur has the short stumpy tail of a dragon as an
allusion to the Lowther family.
The marine dog
The other supporter on the right is the
plain or coast dweller, the sea dog or marine dog. As such he is an
obvious reference to the activities of the towns of the coast and
also to an inland sport, namely salmon fishing. By his name he
alludes to Fletcher Christian whose arms’ colours are also
represented on the collar. The ship building and the mercantile
maritime life which the sea dog refers to is concentrated by the
appearance of a ship’s chain round his body attached to the collar;
of the same colour is the staff which he supports, its upper end
finished in a crook or to balance the Crozier opposite; this is for
both sheep-rearing and rambling.
The Motto
The motto ‘Ex Unitate Curaque Fortior’
translates to ‘Caring and Working Together: By these is Allerdale
made stronger’