City of Bath’s Coat of Arms
The City’s Coat of Arms in the Guildhall.
You’ll come across various visual interpretations of Bath’s coat of arms around the city but the one l am showing you is based on the earliest depiction from 1568 in William Smith’s Particular Description of England – now in the British Museum.
The ownership of the crest is actually unclear as there is no longer a Bath City Council – the city is now part of a unitary authority which does not display the crest on its documents or website.
Let’s take you through the coat of arms from bottom to top.
The motto – Aqua Sulis or Waters of Sulus – is the Roman name for Bath.
A lion and a bear hold up the shield and stand on oak branches with acorns which are linked to King Bladud – the legendary founder of Bath – and the man feeding his pigs acorns when they ran off to discover the steaming mud and thermal waters of the hot springs.
The lion stands for bravery, valour, strength and royalty. The bear for strength, cunning and ferocity in the protection of one’s kindred.
Bath’s Official Coat of Arms
The official Coat of Arms for the City of Bath
The shield depicts the town wall, the mineral springs and River Avon and the sword of St Paul – one of the patron saints of Bath Abbey – which is also the town’s parish church.
The lion and bear also display the crossed sword and keys – representing both patron saints. St Peter – who held the keys to the kingdom of Heaven – shares the protection of the Abbey with St Paul.
Above them the crown of King Edgar – first king of all England – is held aloft by the arms of St Dunstan who performed his coronation in Bath in 973 AD.
So now you know. Many thanks to Richard Wyatt at the ” THE VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF BATH.” Please visit his website for more interesting news and information about Bath.