South Bedfordshire

Heraldry of the World

British heraldry portal
Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom

Overseas possessions
Total pages in the British section : 16,276
Total images in the British section : 9,329

SOUTH BEDFORDSHIRE

Additions : 1974 Dunstable (Borough), Leighton-Linslade UDC, Luton RDC
Ìncorporated into : 2009 Central Bedfordshire

Official blazon

Arms : Or a Pile Gules over all a single-arched Bridge throughout Argent masoned Sable the keystone charged with an Ear of Wheat between on the Pile the Sickles proper all within a Bordure engrailed Sable.
Crest : On a Wreath of the Colours out of a Mural Crown Argent masoned Sable in front of a demi-Bull three Cog-Wheels in fesse Or.
Motto: 'BY TRUTH AND DILIGENCE'

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on November 27, 1975.

The gold and red livery is from the arms of the Beauchamps, ancient Earls of Bedford, and also Bedfordshire County Council. The pile is taken from the ancient arms of Dunstable Priory, which later formed the basis of the unofficial arms of Dunstable town. the three sickles were in the arms of Luton Rural District Council. The bridge, charged on the keystone with an ear of wheat, is from the Leighton-Linslade arms. The shield is completed by the black engrailed bordure from Dunstable's device.

The crest has a mural crown, within which are three cogwheels. There were two cogwheels in Leighton-Linslade's crest, one each for the two industrial towns of Leighton Buzzard and Linslade. The third is for Dunstable. The bull that rises behind them stands for the county, and is one of the supporters of the Bedfordshire County Council.

The motto - BY TRUTH AND DILIGENCE - was used by Leighton-Linslade UDC, and is that of the Lucy family.