THE COUNTY OF AVON (NOW DEFUNCT)

Avon combines historical links with Wessex and Celtic Britain. With both cultures the dragon is associated. The Wessex dragon is sometimes red, as in the arms of Somerset and Wiltshire, sometimes gold, as in those of Dorset and several civic authorities in the area. The British dragon is red also. The dual link is represented in the shield by a dragon divided into gold and red by a chevron-shaped partition line which divides the shield into the reversed colours. The shield of Gloucestershire is similarly partitioned, and the arms of both Somerset and Gloucestershire thus contribute to the arms of their 'offspring' to show its identity.

The Shield is superimposed with a crest with the usual helm, crest wreath and mantling. The wreath and mantling are in white and blue, the heraldic colours for water as seen in the six Avon waves in the Shield. The crest combines the unicorn of Britsol with the sword St. Paul (one of the patron saints of Bath Abbey) and the crown of King Edgar, who was crowned King of all England by St. Dunstan in Bath Abbey on Whit Sunday A.D. 973 The sword and crown occur in the arms of Bath.

The supporters, never before used in civic heraldry, are sea-stags, ie. Stags with fishtails. They represent the fusion of two characteristic features of Avon - sea and forest. The historic importance of the Avon ports is linked with that of the Royal Forests which covered a large part of the County. Each stag is a 'stag royal', i.e with six tynes on each antler, and has about the neck as ancient crown of fleurs-de-lys to emphasise the royal association. On the shoulder of the sea-stag is roundel of six white and blue waves, again representing the rivers and springs of the County.