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Civic Heraldry of the United Kingdom England

FENLAND

Additions : 1974 Chatteris (UDC), March (UDC), North Witchford (RDC), Whittlesey (UDC), Wisbech (Borough), Wisbech (RDC)

Origin/meaning :
The arms were granted on January 15, 1975.
The shield is divided into an upper half consisting of six blue and seven gold vertical bands. The six blue bands represent both the six constituent local authorities which were amalgamated to form Fenland District and the many water-courses which criss-cross the Fens. The gold bands reflect the richness of the Fens and this symbolism is continued in the lower half of the shield which is divided into six black and five gold vertical bands. The black bands represent the rich black silt soil of the Fens.

The crest above the shield comprises a ship in full sail giving a direct connection to the ancient but still thriving Port of Wisbech. The ship rests upon a golden mural crown and helmet symbolic of Wisbech Castle and the history of the District as a whole.

The supporters, whilst not heraldically unique, are unusual. These two Bengal Tigers represent the "Fen Tigers", which was the name applied to the Fen inhabitants by Dutch drainage engineers who came to the Fens in the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to construct the drains which resulted in considerable land reclamation and flood prevention. The local inhabitants displayed a considerable and lasting hostility to the Dutch engineers and the name "Fen Tigers" has resulted from that confrontation. The paws of the Fen Tigers rest on sheaves of gold as a final reflection to the agricultural treasures of the Fens.

Literature : Information taken from here.

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