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Knutsford, Cheshire (England)

image by Rob Raeside, 14 February 2006

Town Council flag

Town Council Flag

The website of Newton Newton Flags shows the flag of Knutsford Town Council as a blue sheet bearing the town's arms, crest and motto on a white oval. Details of the coat of arms can be found on Robert Young's Civic Heraldry site.
Laurence Jones, 10 October 2005

From Civic Heraldry site:

ARMS: Azure a Saltire between in chief and base two Garbs and in fesse as many Fleurs de Lys Or on a Chief barry wavy of four of the first and Argent an Antique Crown Gules.
CREST: Out of a Mural Crown Gules charged with four Lozenges conjoined in fesse Or a demi-Lion of the first about the neck a Garland of May flowered and leaved proper and holding in the paws an open Book also proper edged and bound Gold.

Motto 'RESPICE ASPICE PROSPICE' - Look to the Past, the Present and the Future.
Granted 22nd November 1955, to the Knutsford Urban District Council.

The main colours of blue and gold are the liveries of the Earldom and County of Chester. The saltire refers to the ancient Cross Town portion of Knutsford and the Cheshire sheaves above and below it are for Over Knutsford and Nether Knutsford. The fleur-de-lys, from the arms of the Leycester family, are for their two other lordships of Tabley and Toft. They also refer to the river Lily. These townships are shown united below a chief of blue and white waves with an ancient crown in red, for the traditional story of "Canute's Ford".
The red mural or walled crown recalls Halton Castle, and the gold lozenges or diamonds on it are from the arms of William Fitz-Nigel, Baron of Halton under the first Norman Earl of Chester, who held the Manor of Knutsford. The red lion is from the arms of the Egerton and Leigh families, and above its neck is a garland of may for the famous Royal May Day Celebrations. The lion holds a book in reference to the novelist Mrs Gaskell and her works and the ancient Grammar School.
The motto is that of the Holland family, Barons and Viscounts of Knutsford.

Rob Raeside, 14 February 2006