East Kesteven

	EAST KESTEVEN Country : United Kingdom England Incorporated into: 1974 North Kesteven Status: Rural District Council Loading map... {"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"250px","height":"250px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":7,"defzoom":14,"layers":["OpenStreetMap"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":53.08229999999999648707671440206468105316162109375,"lon":-0.288800000000000001154631945610162802040576934814453125,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}

Official blazon
English	Arms : Per fesse azure and sable, on a bar cotised argent between in chief three crosses bottony and in base an oak tree eradicated and fructed or, a barrulet wavy also azure. Crest : On a wreath or and azure, a crane, wings expanded and inverted, proper, perched on an anchor fesswise gold. Motto : Rus diligenter curate.

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on January 20, 1960.

The white colour of the bar across the centre of the shield represents the Cornish stone imported into East Kesteven. Across this runs a blue wave for the River Witham, the district’s eastern boundary. The straight lines above and below the central bar stand for the area’s Roman roads and artificial dykes that drain the area’s fenlands.

The three crosses at the top of the shield are to represent 1) The Knights Templar – the order’s first preceptory in Britain was established at Temple Bruer, 2) The Saxon market crosses of the district and 3) the deep religious roots of East Kesteven. The black base of the shield represents the dark silty soil of the district, from which its agricultural prosperity is drawn. The oak tree is taken from the arms of Kesteven County Council.

The crest relates to the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. The crane appears in the college’s arms while the anchor recalls that it was founded as a naval training establishment.

The motto translates as ‘Take Care of the Countryside’ and was chosen as the initials ‘RDC’ are the same as ‘Rural District Council’.

Image gallery

The arms in the North Kesteven town hall
(image from the North Kesteven council/Jason Hippisley)

Literature: Scott-Giles, C.W. : Civic heraldry of England and Wales, London, 1932; Briggs, G. : Civic and corporate heraldry. Heraldry Today, Ramsbury, 1971.