North Yorkshire

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NORTH YORKSHIRE

Additions: 1974 York (until 1992), Yorkshire - East Riding (partly), Yorkshire - North Riding (partly), Yorkshire - West Riding (partly)

Official blazon

Arms : Argent a Bendlet wavy Azure and a Bendlet sinister wavy Vert over all on a Cross Gules five Roses Argent barbed and seeded proper.
Crest : On Wreath Argent and Azure upon a Mural Crown Gules a Lion passant guardant Or supporting with the dexter forepaw a Rose Argent barbed and seeded proper en soleil.
Supporters : Upon a Compartment of a Heather Moor proper on the dexter a Lion Or holding in the sinister forepaw a Sword Argent hilt pomel and quillons Gules and resting the sinister hindpaw on a Fountain on the sinister a Lion Or holding in the dexter forepaw two Keys in saltire Argent and resting the dexter hindpaw on a Serpent coiled proper.
Motto: 'UNITATE FORTIOR' - Stronger by union

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on 29th April 1980.

The red cross of St. George (which appeared in the arms of the former North Riding County Council and is also in the York City arms) has been charged with five white roses. The blue and green wavy bendlets represent the streams and the hills of the Yorkshire Dales and the Wolds.

The crest comprises a red mural crown (alluding to the gold one which ensigned the arms of the former West Riding County Council) together with a lion passant auardant (as in the York City arms, and a rose en soleil (which appeared in the arms of the former West Riding of Yorkshire County Council).

Two keys in saltire have been included to represent the ecclesiastical associations of the County (the main charge in one of the coats of the Archbishopric), together with the Whitby coiled serpent appear with the sinister lion. The dexter lion is differenced in a more secular fashion - a sword in the forepaw and a fountain beneath the hindpaw, the latter alluding to the County's seaboard and again to the Dales.