Flag of Herefordshire

Flag of Herefordshire
Proportion3:5
Adopted2 November 2019
Designed byJason Saber

The Herefordshire flag is flag of the English county of Herefordshire. It was registered with the Flag Institute on 2 November 2019.

Council banner and proposed designs

Banner of the arms of Herefordshire council

In absence of a registered flag, the banner of arms of Herefordshire Council is sometimes used, with it having been flown alongside the Union Flag above the Department for Communities and Local Government.[1][2] It features a river running through a red background with a lion passant guardant (sometimes called a "leopard") above and the head of a bull below.[1]

Unofficial Herefordshire flag, which gained popularity after being created by an unnamed university graduate

An alternative design for a flag has been popular, despite being created by a former student as an internet joke, and is sold at the Hereford Tourist Centre.[3]

In January 2019, the Herefordshire Flag Committee, working in conjunction with the council and the Flag Institute, announced plans for an open competition to create a registered flag with a deadline for entries of 15 April.[4] An assessment panel was due to create a shortlist by the end of June and the people of Herefordshire will have then voted in the summer. But due to the high volume of entries, the shortlisting process took longer than they were anticipating and the vote began in early September after the shortlisted entries were revealed. Everyone in the county aged five and over was allowed to vote. The winning design was revealed on 2 November.[5]

2019 competition finalists

  • Design A - Hereford bull and apples on a background of the county's red earth.[6]
    Design A - Hereford bull and apples on a background of the county's red earth.[6]
  • Design B - The apple surrounded by a design representing Herefordshire's black and white houses.[6]
    Design B - The apple surrounded by a design representing Herefordshire's black and white houses.[6]
  • Design C - Hereford bull, the River Wye and deep red soil.[6] (Winner)
    Design C - Hereford bull, the River Wye and deep red soil.[6] (Winner)
  • Design D - Hereford bull, the River Wye, apples and hops.[6]
    Design D - Hereford bull, the River Wye, apples and hops.[6]
  • Design E - Herefordshire's rolling hills and apples set against a background of ripening hay.[6]
    Design E - Herefordshire's rolling hills and apples set against a background of ripening hay.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Communities and Local Government – Herefordshire flag to fly at Department for Communities and Local Government Archived 2012-09-19 at the UK Government Web Archive Date 20 December 2012. Accessed 14 February 2012
  2. ^ BBC News – Herefordshire flag to fly over London at Christmas Date 13 December 2010. Accessed 14 February 2012
  3. ^ Hereford Times – Hundreds buy copy of Herefordshire flag Date 5 February 2010. Accessed 14 February 2012
  4. ^ Ian Morris (17 January 2019). "Five-year-olds to vote on Herefordshire's official flag". Hereford Times. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  5. ^ John Wilson (29 July 2019). "Herefordshire flag voting to start in September". Hereford Times. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Introducing... the official Herefordshire flag". The Shire. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2024.