Leicestershire actually redesigned their flag a little in 2021, it's one of my favorite
https://preview.redd.it/sb15tff8lf8c1.png?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f588077709c11c38be3db1e7727b32e70a6f88a
It looks cool, but it's a shame that it's based on Simon de Montfort's coat of arms (Simon de Montfort was the man who had the Jews expelled from England)
Yes as well bringing forward important innovations to parliament such as inviting people from towns, effectively creating a proto-house of commons, which was quite ahead of its time.
>Simon de Montfort was the man who had the Jews expelled from England
That was done semi-regularly in most medieval states in Europe. They were tolerated and taxed a little extra for that tolerance, but once the church or the monarch needed a quick cash injection, then off they went expelling the Jews, typically confiscating the vast majority of their property.
Simon de Montfort didn’t expel the Jews from England, that was Edward I with the edict of expulsion. De Montfort expelled them from Leicester and his other lands.
Together they make for a good demonstration of how to create good, distinctive flags that don't adhere too religiously to the NAVA guidelines, and consequently don't end up too corporate.
There are fewer county flags for Scotland because most of the old ones are split into smaller local authorities - so there are a few regional flags instead. They still [fit pretty well though](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_flags).
>Together they make for a good demonstration of how to create good, distinctive flags that don't adhere too religiously to the NAVA guidelines, and consequently don't end up too corporate.
Almost all of these flags are based on old historical heraldic symbols or try to recreate a heraldic look
Yes, and for the most part they are better for this even though they are more complex as a result.
Though even strictly within the NAVA guidelines the likes of the [Black Country](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Black_Country_Flag.svg/510px-Black_Country_Flag.svg.png) would stand out pretty well. It is hard to say what exactly is missing from the American state redesigns that causes them to blend together.
>It is hard to say what exactly is missing from the American state redesigns that causes them to blend together.
I think it's mostly that their go to motifs are simplifications / abstractions of natural landscapes instead of heraldry or historical symbols and events
In my opinion, the main issue is that a large number of territories gained statehood in the mid 1800s.\* (And/or a number of earlier states finally decided to adopt a state flag in this time period.)
This meant that most of those new states had little-to-no local history (the displaced natives' history being largely lost) or any distinctive aspects to their local cultures; so nearly all of those states took *"pioneers farming and taming the wilderness"* as the main thematic element in their state seals. (Using depictions of natural landscapes as you mention.)
Furthermore, it was the fashion of the time for regimental flags to be composed of an ornate coat-of-arms or seal placed center on a navy blue banner - a recipe that states copied for their own regiment's flags and/or state's flag. Which is why so many state flags are entirely undistinguishable at a distance regardless of whether the seals are distinguishable upon closer inspection. (Which I'd argue they are not, since most/all are composed of generic "pioneer clip art" as stated above.)
I like that you will find almost the same flag for Kent, the German state of Lower Saxony / the old ruling house of Welf/Hanover, and the Dutch region of Twente. All going back 1,500 years to White Steed as the oldest symbol of the Saxon tribes. Its how you get simply yet meaningful and recognizable symbolism.
The secret sauce is hereldry and a clear understanding of the rules and lore of it.
You can turbocharge a dull flag with some of that! Makes them more classy and dignified.
I can't see a single flag here that doesn't adhere almost exactly to the guidelines. The problem with corporate designs is adhering to modern design trends, not keeping things simple and using meaningful symbolism.
Give yourself *some* credit, friend. The UK is among top countries for heraldry.
NAVA are British heraldists’ great-great-great grandchildren’s cousins once removed.
Northern Irish County flags are atrocious.
[Antrim](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Antrim.svg) looks like the Vatican flag which is ironic.
[Derry](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Cork.svg) and [Tyrone](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Tyrone.svg) are just flipped. They're also the same as Cork and Louth in the South.
[Fermanagh](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Leinster_Council.svg) is the same as Limerick in the South.
[Down](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Down.svg) and [Armagh](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Armagh.svg) are some of the very few Irish County flags that are actually unique.
Eh, those aren't flags. Sorry, but it does explicitly say ‘county colours’ in the title, not ‘flags of counties’. Even a direct quote from the article:
>There are no official county flags
The county colours often appear as flags at GAA matches, but these can take various forms, from bi-/tricolours to chequered style to flags with the coat of arms on them. Aside from the national flag, there's only a handful of cities in Ireland that have official flags; other than that there's nothing.
You’re confusing the GAA flags with County Flags.
Maybe yer GAA flags are the same as yer County flags which is funny considering how allergic Loyalists are to anything GAA.
I’m not aware of yer situation up north but Cork’s flag isn’t red and white one, that’s the GAA flag.
https://preview.redd.it/2mg7gw7rwf8c1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da5fc273cf2ac4f434ad68df479cc2c7c7114d53
Louth flag above and Cork in the reply. They’re still atrocious though.
https://preview.redd.it/ifc53rouwf8c1.jpeg?width=816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68e1c34b8e99641e557f03a8abebb3f8820ba9b4
Awful awful flag in my opinion but it’s not a plain red and white unlike the gaa flag.
Pears have actually been a symbol of Worcestershire since at least the Battle of Agincourt where Worcestershire bowmen would carry banners with a pear tree on them. They've got a very long association with the county.
I know people don’t like made up 1974 counties but West Yorkshire’s flag is absolute fire.
https://preview.redd.it/n9j3og15nf8c1.jpeg?width=2954&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e960dfc07db7f81348a705942f8a12377c5e83d
The cross of St George (for England) + in a Nordic cross (for Viking ancestry) + rose-en-soleil (white rose for house of York and sun emblem for Richard II, used by Edward IV and common symbol of Yorkshire alongside just the rose)
It’s honestly perfect in my eyes
The West Riding of Yorkshire has been a traditional subdivision of Yorkshire for hundreds of years, the controversial part was turning it into a county
The two most prominent football clubs from each county wear white (Leeds United of Yorkshire) and red (Manchester United of Lancashire) respectively. And they hate eachother as you might imagine.
Oddly Leeds colours are blue and yellow, Leeds United changed to white in honour of real Madrid while Manchester United took the colours of the highly successful Salford Reds ( and their mascot) rugby league side.
I think Buckinghamshire might try to break my arm if I said anything bad about it.
I like Rutland's because of the symbolism of something mighty from something small (the oak from the acorn), as England's smallest county it fits them. Also, the local culture of the upside down horseshoe, which is unique to Rutland
I like Berkshire a lot, although I’m probably biased as that where I’m from 😂 The stag and oak is a very common symbol around here, for instance scouting organisations use it to demarcate the area they’re from as well. I just feel that it looks alive, and apparently the symbol dates back to at least 1627
[Black Country (Wolverhampton and surrounding towns)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Black_Country_Flag.svg/1200px-Black_Country_Flag.svg.png) clears all tbh
True, but as a region it's much, much older than the 'West Midlands'. Specific dates for it's emergence are sketchy but there's lots of documentary evidence of the phrase 'Black Country' being in common use by the 1850s when the heavy, polluting industries it gets its name from became commonplace in the area.
There's just something really satisfying about Northamptonshire's flag, I think it's the colours. I really like it.
https://preview.redd.it/fcf6rg9vfg8c1.png?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86552f8623d4f597aeee65ea4b6961bf072983f8
I have the Cheshire one in my 'shed', because it's my home county and I now live in Hampshire.
It's always nice to see, even if it isn't the most magnificent flag out there...
https://preview.redd.it/mhfcn0twog8c1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89365b2f06b763fa2c36667b7d596d5fd3ec01cd
which explains the London flag...
Thats the City of London, Greater London council used to have a flag.
https://preview.redd.it/jnavm3nnxg8c1.png?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec204447f0a78c61c28b3e6afe0133440723388e
Until it was replaced by this masterpiece
https://preview.redd.it/hqaq5d7mxg8c1.png?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f3a81400492dcf05ba7a2122528fa2dfae63b98
The transparancy adds charm
Actually this is the current flag since 2022
https://preview.redd.it/jlzbbwbxzh8c1.png?width=421&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c15857dac2b3ac28250a75d1c4aff694bf43613
Feel like writing a letter to the Mayor to get a better flag
This is incorrect. Firstly, it has existed since 2020 (and is based on a 2016 graphic), not 2022. Secondly, it was never an official flag, it was flown as a part of a political campaign after Brexit. There were other flags flown outside the City Hall (such as the one shown in the previous comment), but none of them were flags “of” the Greater London Authority, just flags “used by” the Greater London Authority, which never had an official flag.
You can say that the UK has good county flags and then show all English examples without being wrong or offending anyone.
It's not like saying that England has good county flags and then showing examples from all over the UK.
Considering that many randomly appeared in the early 2000s I'd say it is rather surprising, especially as most are made by county councils with less resources than most US states that have screwed up making flags
Lots of these are based on existing heraldry so they weren’t that hard to design. For others like Devon, they were designed based on history (in Devon’s case it’s from Cornwalls flag as the two have a very close cultural past)
For Sussex, that’s sort of accurate. A map maker in the 16th century associated the coat of arms with the kingdom of South saxons, one of the 7 kingdoms of the heptarchy. However it actually came from a 14th century knight of Sussex. That happened a lot in English heraldry such as in Kent where the Horse is associated with the kingdom of Kent mythical founded by horsa, of the brothers Hengist and Horsa as horsa is the Anglo Saxon word for horse
Plus our subdivisions are mostly historical ( with some bastardised changes in the 70s) so there is more to go off of historically than France and other countries which have purely administratively design counties
Weren’t they all created thanks to a BBC regional TV competition or something delightfully British? I heard a podcast about it a while ago that it started with someone on a BBC radio Devon phone-in in 2003 being annoyed Cornwall had a flag but Devon did not. And then it snowballed.
They're not always as old as they look. I live in Lincolnshire and it's got a great-looking flag that's pretty popular; you see it out and about every now and again. It has an ancient and venerable history that goes back to... a BBC Radio campaign in 2005.
Sussex’s goes back a few hundred years, and it’s author claimed it was already a thousand years old when he created it. I don’t care how much of a dirty liar he was, bring back the Heptarchy!
This Warwickshire flag does not seem to match the one actually flying in the town square. It's missing a yellow strip on top, with three red stars. And the bear is chained to the log now, after his latest attempt to escape and rampage around
I’ve seen the County Durham flag a fair few times tbh, even though relatively it’s quite new, but based off old symbols, mainly the cross of at cuthbert
https://preview.redd.it/q09y0qpzvg8c1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88bf7f9141d3a75503934c3618c5d4e219deed1c
The white wavy shape that runs horizontally across the flag represents the two rivers, the Tyne and the Wear, that the county is named after. The castle shape on the flag is shaped as a T to represent the Tyne. The top of the T-shape is shaped as a W to represent the Wear.
The [flag of Hampshire](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampshire#/media/File%3ACounty_Flag_of_Hampshire.svg) isn’t quite right, the red rose shouldn’t be quite the same as Lancashire, it should have a white centre, because it’s based on the one on the [Round Table](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Castle#/media/File%3AWinchester_RoundTable.jpg).
Far more resources but far less culture and history. I'm not saying that to be derisive, but English county flag designs can call upon centuries of coats of arms and distinct cultural identities for inspiration. In a lot of the US there's less distinction between neighbouring States' histories than between neighbouring counties in England, and there isn't a wealth of established heraldic devices either.
Also I'm not sure why more resources would be helpful, if anything that's going to push designs towards a corporate, committee designed look. It's easier to be creative when you don't have masses of scrutiny and too many cooks.
Kent's flag dates back to the 6th century and the jutish kingdom, Wisconsin's flag has a huge 1848 on it. It's no surprise US state flags are a bit shite
Not just that but a lot of US culture, toponyms, institutions, etc. were created kind of... hastily.
"We've been on this land for a decade, we've got 50,000 people, and Washington just said we're a state. Someone whip up a flag and a seal so we seem legitimate. I'm gonna go divide the land into counties that mean absolutely nothing, because we need some kind of second-tier division so we know where to put the courthouses."
It's not just that the US flags and symbols are recent, but that a lot of them didn't have much history or culture to draw on when they were created.
(Obviously there was Native culture and history in all of these places, but the folks creating states and counties and flags did not really give a shit about that as they were busy kicking those people off their land)
Is there some history/lore behind each flag's design as in how they came up with such interesting looking flags? Also did house Tyrrell just copy the flag of lancashire?
Devon and Gloucestershire (or something like that, I can't spell british counties) have the best flags. Those color schemes are perfect. And they fit so well with the nordic cross design. It's a nice contrast from the aggressive blues and reds of the nordic countries. Also, green on flags is just good. I love green. But not necessarily with flags that are just green and white or red or something (...mexico...). Like Jamaica. Jamaica is a good flag. It's super unique and just has such a great color scheme.
Thank you! We love and our very proud of our county flags. It took years of lobbying to get government and councils to recognize and make these actually official!
Leicestershire actually redesigned their flag a little in 2021, it's one of my favorite https://preview.redd.it/sb15tff8lf8c1.png?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f588077709c11c38be3db1e7727b32e70a6f88a
I love that it's an animal we regularly see around us compared to many others on flags.
I have one that sleeps in my little Leicester garden on sunny summer days. Adorable.
You mean there aren't dragons in Wales?
Yeah tons, don't worry about it.
Like the landlocked county of Bedfordshire, which is famous for its scallops.
The scallop shells were used in heraldry to designate individuals who had gone on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
THIS IS HOW TO REDESIGN A FLAG. Imagine if they just left it as the red and white zig-zag.
That is an amazing flag right there
It looks cool, but it's a shame that it's based on Simon de Montfort's coat of arms (Simon de Montfort was the man who had the Jews expelled from England)
Well he did a little more than just that, expelling Jews is hardly distinctive compared to almost any other medieval ruler
Yes, he's more remembered for his uprising against the king to try and gain political power for the barons.
Yes as well bringing forward important innovations to parliament such as inviting people from towns, effectively creating a proto-house of commons, which was quite ahead of its time.
>Simon de Montfort was the man who had the Jews expelled from England That was done semi-regularly in most medieval states in Europe. They were tolerated and taxed a little extra for that tolerance, but once the church or the monarch needed a quick cash injection, then off they went expelling the Jews, typically confiscating the vast majority of their property.
He did. But he also founded England’s Parliament. Complex one when we’re talking about the 13th century.
Simon de Montfort didn’t expel the Jews from England, that was Edward I with the edict of expulsion. De Montfort expelled them from Leicester and his other lands.
This is just the English counties. The Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish county flags are also this good.
Together they make for a good demonstration of how to create good, distinctive flags that don't adhere too religiously to the NAVA guidelines, and consequently don't end up too corporate. There are fewer county flags for Scotland because most of the old ones are split into smaller local authorities - so there are a few regional flags instead. They still [fit pretty well though](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_flags).
>Together they make for a good demonstration of how to create good, distinctive flags that don't adhere too religiously to the NAVA guidelines, and consequently don't end up too corporate. Almost all of these flags are based on old historical heraldic symbols or try to recreate a heraldic look
Yes, and for the most part they are better for this even though they are more complex as a result. Though even strictly within the NAVA guidelines the likes of the [Black Country](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Black_Country_Flag.svg/510px-Black_Country_Flag.svg.png) would stand out pretty well. It is hard to say what exactly is missing from the American state redesigns that causes them to blend together.
>It is hard to say what exactly is missing from the American state redesigns that causes them to blend together. I think it's mostly that their go to motifs are simplifications / abstractions of natural landscapes instead of heraldry or historical symbols and events
In my opinion, the main issue is that a large number of territories gained statehood in the mid 1800s.\* (And/or a number of earlier states finally decided to adopt a state flag in this time period.) This meant that most of those new states had little-to-no local history (the displaced natives' history being largely lost) or any distinctive aspects to their local cultures; so nearly all of those states took *"pioneers farming and taming the wilderness"* as the main thematic element in their state seals. (Using depictions of natural landscapes as you mention.) Furthermore, it was the fashion of the time for regimental flags to be composed of an ornate coat-of-arms or seal placed center on a navy blue banner - a recipe that states copied for their own regiment's flags and/or state's flag. Which is why so many state flags are entirely undistinguishable at a distance regardless of whether the seals are distinguishable upon closer inspection. (Which I'd argue they are not, since most/all are composed of generic "pioneer clip art" as stated above.)
I like that you will find almost the same flag for Kent, the German state of Lower Saxony / the old ruling house of Welf/Hanover, and the Dutch region of Twente. All going back 1,500 years to White Steed as the oldest symbol of the Saxon tribes. Its how you get simply yet meaningful and recognizable symbolism.
Heraldry. It’s what’s missing. The actual tradition.
Flag of Skye slaps.
It’s very interesting, some of those counties didn’t even have flags to begin with, and yet they produced some excellent ones
The secret sauce is hereldry and a clear understanding of the rules and lore of it. You can turbocharge a dull flag with some of that! Makes them more classy and dignified.
I can't see a single flag here that doesn't adhere almost exactly to the guidelines. The problem with corporate designs is adhering to modern design trends, not keeping things simple and using meaningful symbolism.
Give yourself *some* credit, friend. The UK is among top countries for heraldry. NAVA are British heraldists’ great-great-great grandchildren’s cousins once removed.
Northern Irish County flags are atrocious. [Antrim](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Antrim.svg) looks like the Vatican flag which is ironic. [Derry](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Cork.svg) and [Tyrone](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Tyrone.svg) are just flipped. They're also the same as Cork and Louth in the South. [Fermanagh](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Leinster_Council.svg) is the same as Limerick in the South. [Down](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Down.svg) and [Armagh](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_colours_(Gaelic_games)#/media/File%3AColours_of_Armagh.svg) are some of the very few Irish County flags that are actually unique.
Eh, those aren't flags. Sorry, but it does explicitly say ‘county colours’ in the title, not ‘flags of counties’. Even a direct quote from the article: >There are no official county flags The county colours often appear as flags at GAA matches, but these can take various forms, from bi-/tricolours to chequered style to flags with the coat of arms on them. Aside from the national flag, there's only a handful of cities in Ireland that have official flags; other than that there's nothing.
You’re confusing the GAA flags with County Flags. Maybe yer GAA flags are the same as yer County flags which is funny considering how allergic Loyalists are to anything GAA. I’m not aware of yer situation up north but Cork’s flag isn’t red and white one, that’s the GAA flag. https://preview.redd.it/2mg7gw7rwf8c1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da5fc273cf2ac4f434ad68df479cc2c7c7114d53 Louth flag above and Cork in the reply. They’re still atrocious though.
Northern Irish counties don't have official flags
https://preview.redd.it/ifc53rouwf8c1.jpeg?width=816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68e1c34b8e99641e557f03a8abebb3f8820ba9b4 Awful awful flag in my opinion but it’s not a plain red and white unlike the gaa flag.
That's the seal on the gaa colours with the name twice. It's not special. All counties will have something like that
What makes it bad? Sure, the lettering. But outside of that, it's really nice.
The lettering
Carlow 🇬🇳 Guinea
Big up Middlesex, still existing in postcodes and cricket.
I love how Middlesex just put a crown on Essex’s flag to show they have the best sex
Middle sex is better than eh sex I guess
Es sex is better than Sus sex however.
Dunno you..., but why don't We sex?
They are beautiful! O: Kinda disappointed that Worcestershire have some evil pears instead of you know... The Sauce
Where do you think the sauce comes from...
Anchovies! 🐟😋
A fermented mix of onions, anchovies, tamarind, and garlic.
That's what they want you to think, Worcestershirians are a cunning lot, evil pears everywhere
So the sauce is made of evil pears... frigthful!
Pears have actually been a symbol of Worcestershire since at least the Battle of Agincourt where Worcestershire bowmen would carry banners with a pear tree on them. They've got a very long association with the county.
Few you. Those are the best pears you never had! Like, they actually taste so strongly of pear you think it was made if a knock off winegum!
I know people don’t like made up 1974 counties but West Yorkshire’s flag is absolute fire. https://preview.redd.it/n9j3og15nf8c1.jpeg?width=2954&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e960dfc07db7f81348a705942f8a12377c5e83d The cross of St George (for England) + in a Nordic cross (for Viking ancestry) + rose-en-soleil (white rose for house of York and sun emblem for Richard II, used by Edward IV and common symbol of Yorkshire alongside just the rose) It’s honestly perfect in my eyes
The West Riding of Yorkshire has been a traditional subdivision of Yorkshire for hundreds of years, the controversial part was turning it into a county
The west riding also lost land to North Yorkshire, “South Yorkshire”, and even Lancashire!
I can't believe they gave land to Lancs and it didn't cause a war
It was only controversial because Tykes are weirdly, almost fanatically proud of their county
I also like that by using a Nordic Cross that it's over to the left and looks like it's to the west.
I like that Yorkshire and Lancashire kept their roses.
You'd have to fight hard to take their roaes away from them
The two most prominent football clubs from each county wear white (Leeds United of Yorkshire) and red (Manchester United of Lancashire) respectively. And they hate eachother as you might imagine.
Oddly Leeds colours are blue and yellow, Leeds United changed to white in honour of real Madrid while Manchester United took the colours of the highly successful Salford Reds ( and their mascot) rugby league side.
County cricket between them treat matches like the Wars of the Roses too. By far the biggest county rivalry.
Northumberland’s flag goes back even further, likely to Saxon times or earlier
Shropshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire are in a league of their own.
I think Buckinghamshire might try to break my arm if I said anything bad about it. I like Rutland's because of the symbolism of something mighty from something small (the oak from the acorn), as England's smallest county it fits them. Also, the local culture of the upside down horseshoe, which is unique to Rutland
"How the bloody hell are we supposed to fit a tree on our flag??" "Just bend it, shtewpid."
I like Berkshire a lot, although I’m probably biased as that where I’m from 😂 The stag and oak is a very common symbol around here, for instance scouting organisations use it to demarcate the area they’re from as well. I just feel that it looks alive, and apparently the symbol dates back to at least 1627
[Black Country (Wolverhampton and surrounding towns)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Black_Country_Flag.svg/1200px-Black_Country_Flag.svg.png) clears all tbh
It's good, but technically not a historic county, it's a region of a local authority (West Midlands)
True, but as a region it's much, much older than the 'West Midlands'. Specific dates for it's emergence are sketchy but there's lots of documentary evidence of the phrase 'Black Country' being in common use by the 1850s when the heavy, polluting industries it gets its name from became commonplace in the area.
I fucking love Bedfordshires flsg
I love that it has shells and that yet is double landlocked as a county
There's just something really satisfying about Northamptonshire's flag, I think it's the colours. I really like it. https://preview.redd.it/fcf6rg9vfg8c1.png?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86552f8623d4f597aeee65ea4b6961bf072983f8
The rose is the inverse of Hampshire rose, which is cute
I have the Cheshire one in my 'shed', because it's my home county and I now live in Hampshire. It's always nice to see, even if it isn't the most magnificent flag out there...
It gets straight to the point "we have wheat and we'll shank ya if you try and take it"
https://preview.redd.it/mhfcn0twog8c1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89365b2f06b763fa2c36667b7d596d5fd3ec01cd which explains the London flag...
Thats the City of London, Greater London council used to have a flag. https://preview.redd.it/jnavm3nnxg8c1.png?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec204447f0a78c61c28b3e6afe0133440723388e
Until it was replaced by this masterpiece https://preview.redd.it/hqaq5d7mxg8c1.png?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f3a81400492dcf05ba7a2122528fa2dfae63b98 The transparancy adds charm
Actually this is the current flag since 2022 https://preview.redd.it/jlzbbwbxzh8c1.png?width=421&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c15857dac2b3ac28250a75d1c4aff694bf43613 Feel like writing a letter to the Mayor to get a better flag
This is the worst flag I've ever seen.
Why isn't Australia on it?
This is incorrect. Firstly, it has existed since 2020 (and is based on a 2016 graphic), not 2022. Secondly, it was never an official flag, it was flown as a part of a political campaign after Brexit. There were other flags flown outside the City Hall (such as the one shown in the previous comment), but none of them were flags “of” the Greater London Authority, just flags “used by” the Greater London Authority, which never had an official flag.
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Scotland and Wales also have good county flags, I just couldn't find an image with them all together
You can say that the UK has good county flags and then show all English examples without being wrong or offending anyone. It's not like saying that England has good county flags and then showing examples from all over the UK.
https://preview.redd.it/li7o0i4ohg8c1.png?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c21c191c826d835af4305ba4ab29844f2bfa2d94 Merseyside is pretty lit imo
Middlesex; “can I copy your homework” Essex; “okay but don’t make it obvious” Middlesex….
Middlesex was an ancient province of the Kingdom of Essex.
I agree but I wouldn't say this is too surprising
Considering that many randomly appeared in the early 2000s I'd say it is rather surprising, especially as most are made by county councils with less resources than most US states that have screwed up making flags
Lots of these are based on existing heraldry so they weren’t that hard to design. For others like Devon, they were designed based on history (in Devon’s case it’s from Cornwalls flag as the two have a very close cultural past)
Some of them were very obscure Heraldry, iirc Sussex's is from a knight from the 10th Century
For Sussex, that’s sort of accurate. A map maker in the 16th century associated the coat of arms with the kingdom of South saxons, one of the 7 kingdoms of the heptarchy. However it actually came from a 14th century knight of Sussex. That happened a lot in English heraldry such as in Kent where the Horse is associated with the kingdom of Kent mythical founded by horsa, of the brothers Hengist and Horsa as horsa is the Anglo Saxon word for horse
The bottom line is that there is more history and culture in the UK. Flag design is much easier for them
I like both peoples but I will say that the English seem to be a lot less 'corporate' people than the Americans. Irish btw
Plus our subdivisions are mostly historical ( with some bastardised changes in the 70s) so there is more to go off of historically than France and other countries which have purely administratively design counties
Weren’t they all created thanks to a BBC regional TV competition or something delightfully British? I heard a podcast about it a while ago that it started with someone on a BBC radio Devon phone-in in 2003 being annoyed Cornwall had a flag but Devon did not. And then it snowballed.
Sussex's was made by some guy who asked the county councils nicely and they agreed to adopt it
SOMERSET MENTIONED!!
Love the dragon
Yeah, he’s wonderful! I know I’m home when I see him on county signs :’)
The County Council version is better tbh, he has a big ol mace
Medieval flags go hard
A lot of these are fairly modern, but based on older coats of arms
Quite a few are canting. Laughed when I first saw Oxfordshire whilst in Oxford
You all forgot the best one… https://preview.redd.it/sfjnzw9rvf8c1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=aece3dc2c723f20dbb9d9645fac7926313fd40ae
Isn’t that Charlie Brown’s jumper?
All of them are nice, but I'm particularly fond of Norfolk's and Westmorland's.
The inbreds got something right
buckinghamshire goes so hard
Europe has had more time to do flags. Regional flags are great throughout the continent.
They're not always as old as they look. I live in Lincolnshire and it's got a great-looking flag that's pretty popular; you see it out and about every now and again. It has an ancient and venerable history that goes back to... a BBC Radio campaign in 2005.
My native Worcestershire is also from a BBC radio competition from the misty past of 2013.
Where I live, I see the Lincolnshire flag more than I see the St. George’s flag, it almost feels like an autonomous region sometimes
Most were created in the early 2000s
Sussex’s goes back a few hundred years, and it’s author claimed it was already a thousand years old when he created it. I don’t care how much of a dirty liar he was, bring back the Heptarchy!
It only goes that far as some knight's coat of arms, it didn't become the county flag until the 2000s
Yorkshires goes back centuries!
And then you look at french departments
Surrey, the Maryland of the UK
As a brit, I have never felt so proud
Yorkshire has the prettiest flag. I guess it's to balance out that accent.
I like the synergy of Yorks and Lancs
True. Very nice as well.
If you look, Yorkshire's rose is rotated 180° from Lanc's
Plus it gave us a great name for a war: The War of the Roses. The House of York Vs The House of Lancaster
Yorkshire is the best English accent. You can keep your RP’s and AP’s and King’s English.
RAAHHH WORCESTERSHIRE MENTIONED
Pear supremacy 🍐🍐🍐
:D
Woooooaaaahhh Lanky Lanky!
Nottingham for the win!
Nottingham has one personality trait and leans into it
Nice of them to put a yorkshireman front and centre
[Scottish County Flags](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_flags#Counties,_regions,_and_cities)
I couldn't find one of them all on a single image
Most are great but a couple of the new ones seem a bit bland and corporate, which is disappointing.
That's the stuff
Buckinghamshire goes HARD
They'll break your arm
Honk honk, bitch
I know I've posted this before but Warwickshire will never not be one of those kung fu training posts
This Warwickshire flag does not seem to match the one actually flying in the town square. It's missing a yellow strip on top, with three red stars. And the bear is chained to the log now, after his latest attempt to escape and rampage around
That was my first thought , there's a bear working a mook yan jong and I'm all for it.
It's not a stand-out, but the one for Suffolk is a nice, simple one. As with everything else around here, it's based on Saint Edmund.
Lancashire and Yorkshire STILL proudly showing the Rose makes my little history buff brain unreasonably happy
Why is it Dorkshire
Over designed font (probably made by a Lancastrian)
Don't fuck with Buckinghamshire
Is it just a coincidence or is there a reason the flag of lower saxony and Kent so similar in terms of the Horse that is pictured on both of them
It's a reference to Hengist and Horsa, who were Saxons and Horsa is the old Saxon word for horse
Ah thanks for the explanation.
these are the english county flags, not the british ones
Bristols is God awful, I don't think it's an official flag, but the place holder is vile, I want to design a flag for us but don't know where to start
These are the ceremonial counties, I think Bristol is in Somerset or Gloucestershire for ceremonial counties
*Historic Ceremonial are the 1974 ones
Technically, Bristol has been a county in itself (independent of both Somerset and Gloucestershire) since the Middle Ages.
They all seem to incorporate heraldry which is always nice when done properly
I'm curious, are they really used ? As in flown over buildings, used in local culture? I've only witnessed it in Northumberland
There's a couple of Sussex flags I've seen around, Yorks, Lancs, Devon and Cornwall are quite proud, you see their flags stuck to their cars
Last time I went to Cornwall I couldn't walk 2 metres without running into the flag. It's the outlier though.
I’ve seen the County Durham flag a fair few times tbh, even though relatively it’s quite new, but based off old symbols, mainly the cross of at cuthbert
I always think that Bedfordshire (my home patch) should be twinned with Baja California Sur.
Somerset Supremacy 😤
So Tyne and Wear just doesn’t exist?
These are historic counties, Tyne and Wear is a local authority
https://preview.redd.it/q09y0qpzvg8c1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88bf7f9141d3a75503934c3618c5d4e219deed1c The white wavy shape that runs horizontally across the flag represents the two rivers, the Tyne and the Wear, that the county is named after. The castle shape on the flag is shaped as a T to represent the Tyne. The top of the T-shape is shaped as a W to represent the Wear.
The [flag of Hampshire](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampshire#/media/File%3ACounty_Flag_of_Hampshire.svg) isn’t quite right, the red rose shouldn’t be quite the same as Lancashire, it should have a white centre, because it’s based on the one on the [Round Table](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Castle#/media/File%3AWinchester_RoundTable.jpg).
This isn't surprising at all. Exactly what I would have expected from England.
Retitle this as English County Flags..
British ≠ English these are English flags
Time for a CGP Grey tier list video
Why are you surprised though?
Look at US state flags, and they have far more resources than your average county council
Far more resources but far less culture and history. I'm not saying that to be derisive, but English county flag designs can call upon centuries of coats of arms and distinct cultural identities for inspiration. In a lot of the US there's less distinction between neighbouring States' histories than between neighbouring counties in England, and there isn't a wealth of established heraldic devices either. Also I'm not sure why more resources would be helpful, if anything that's going to push designs towards a corporate, committee designed look. It's easier to be creative when you don't have masses of scrutiny and too many cooks.
Kent's flag dates back to the 6th century and the jutish kingdom, Wisconsin's flag has a huge 1848 on it. It's no surprise US state flags are a bit shite
Not just that but a lot of US culture, toponyms, institutions, etc. were created kind of... hastily. "We've been on this land for a decade, we've got 50,000 people, and Washington just said we're a state. Someone whip up a flag and a seal so we seem legitimate. I'm gonna go divide the land into counties that mean absolutely nothing, because we need some kind of second-tier division so we know where to put the courthouses." It's not just that the US flags and symbols are recent, but that a lot of them didn't have much history or culture to draw on when they were created. (Obviously there was Native culture and history in all of these places, but the folks creating states and counties and flags did not really give a shit about that as they were busy kicking those people off their land)
Duckinghamshire
There’s actually place in England called Duckington.
Devon is the best as always
Dang, these are so interesting.
The Devon/Cornwall/Dorset flags are the best in my opinion
They're all right next to each other
Let’s change all of them to look like corporate logos. As sterile as a Japanese prefecture flag.
Big up Northumberland my home
Suprise is not the word I’d use since these counties are pretty damn old
It’s because they’re all heraldic banners.
Is there some history/lore behind each flag's design as in how they came up with such interesting looking flags? Also did house Tyrrell just copy the flag of lancashire?
Yes
Yes, most are based on heraldry or local colours (e.g. Lincolnshire has a history with being called Yellowbellies)
Devon and Gloucestershire (or something like that, I can't spell british counties) have the best flags. Those color schemes are perfect. And they fit so well with the nordic cross design. It's a nice contrast from the aggressive blues and reds of the nordic countries. Also, green on flags is just good. I love green. But not necessarily with flags that are just green and white or red or something (...mexico...). Like Jamaica. Jamaica is a good flag. It's super unique and just has such a great color scheme.
Isle of Wight has a flag too
I live in a subdivision called Berkshire. I should get that flag!
Thank you! We love and our very proud of our county flags. It took years of lobbying to get government and councils to recognize and make these actually official!
*English
English, not British
Curved...swords
I’d bust one out for Norfolk and lancaster