Armorial Bearings

Armorial Bearings of the West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council

Blazon

• Arms: Or, two piles azure, a rose argent barbed and seeded proper.

• Crest: On a wreath of the colours a mural crown or, standing thereon a lion rampant guardant per fess gules and tenne, crowned or, bearing in its forepaws a rose argent barbed and seeded proper.

• Supporters: 1. Dexter, a lion rampant guardant per fess gules and sable, armed and langued azure, crowned and charged on the shoulder with a sun in splendour. 2. Sinister a lion rampant guardant fess tenne and vert, armed and langued gules, crowned or, charged on the shoulder with a rose argent barbed and seeded proper. The compartment is representative of the Pennine hills.

Interpretation

The two heraldic charges on the shield form a letter 'W' the initial of 'West', and the white rose is for 'Yorkshire', thus representing heraldically the name of the County. The shield is divided into five parts which stand for the five districts, as do the petals of the rose.

The crest consists of a lion holding in his keeping the emblem of Yorkshire, the White Rose of York, and standing on a mural crown appropriate to the dignity of the County.

The two supporters are lions, as in the crest: British, and long used in many arms in Yorkshire. They are divided horizontally in colour to symbolize the new County District structure of local government, and also the mid-way position of the County in Britain.

The dexter supporter (on the left to the viewer), is in colours representing Industry, and has on its shoulder the sun, source of all energy. The sinister supporter's colours are for Agriculture, and it bears a white rose for the countryside.

The base represents the Pennine hills, so much a feature of the County and carries a simple scroll with the motto 'By Effort Achieve'.

The Armorial Bearings were devised by Mr Ernest Spencer, of Leeds and were approved by the College of Heralds in 1974.

(Taken from a West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council postcard).