A fresh new take on a flag for Swindon
About the Swindon flag design.
The designing process of the Swindon flag design started in the middle of 2021, with it being promoted as early as the 3rd of December that same year. It is a design that aims to capture Swindon’s achievements and modern origins, using the motto of Swindon - “Salubritas Et Industria” Health and Industry in a literal sense. The design is aiming to promote positivity in Swindon!
The Wiltshire Connection
New & Blue, yet familiar...
The County flag of Wiltshire inspired the design. Its layout helped to create a familiar feel to the design. The use of colours that prominently feature upon the borough's coat of arms ensures a unique contrast between the two.
Swindon has no records of specific official colours. Blue and White however appear on the Mantling and Torse which denote the principal/first colours. Along with the blue quarters of the shield, blue is the most prominently featured colour on the coat of arms, with white, red and gold listed in order of prominence on the coat of arms.
The use of the Wiltshire flag layout emphasises Swindon’s position as being the largest settlement in Wiltshire. It also reaffirms that Swindon, whilst being its own borough with a unitary authority is still just as much a part of the county as it always has been before.
THE CHEVRONS
The hills of Swindon.
An often overlooked feature within the Borough of Swindon is the four significant hills; Highworth, Swindon (Old Town), Barbury and Liddington. These four hills are featured in the design in the ascending order listed above, by the use of four chevrons.
HIGHWORTH
Highworth hill is the location of the market town of Highworth. At 436ft above sea level, Highworth is the highest town in Wiltshire. and has incredible views into the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire countryside. Highworth was once larger than Swindon, it has been continuously occupied for the best part of 4,000 years. Highworth was also once a Royalist stronghold during the English civil war.
(St Michael's Church, Highworth, use of photo granted by Visit Highworth.)
OLD TOWN
Old Town, formerly known as Swindon hill, is a fully urbanised area of Swindon. With a vibrant high street, Victorian garden, and rich history accompanied by a wealth of pubs, bars and venues, Old Town is still an extremely popular area of Swindon. Old Town's Christ Church before the railway boom was able to be seen from far distances, to this day it is still a dominant feature in the Swindon skyline.
(The Kings Arms, Old Town, photographed by Royston Cartwright.)
BARBURY
Barbury Castle/Barbury hill is a popular viewpoint to the south of Swindon. The site has an Iron age fort situated upon its eastern side and forms part of the ancient Ridgeway from Avebury to Goring gap. Barbury overlooks the south of Swindon as well as the former RAF Wroughton, which is home to the Science Museum's storage facility. The battle of Ellendune is widely believed to have taken place near Wroughton just north of Barbury.
(Photo provided by Total guide Swindon.)
LIDDINGTON
Following the Ridgway east from Barbury is Liddington hill which also is part of the Ridgeway. Like Barbury Liddington has an iron age fort. The hill dominates the Swindon landscape to the south and east of the town. This picturesque hill has some stunning views of the Borough. The hill had a secret role during the second world war being host to a starfish and quick light site which were used to confuse German bombers and reduce Swindon's risk of being bombed. Liddington hill has also inspired notable people such as poets, Richard Jeffries and Alfred Williams. Liddington Hill is also the name of a local rock band that was inspired by the Hill.
(Use of photo granted by Liddington Parish Council.)
THE COLOURS
The Swindon flag emphasises the motto of the town through the use of the prominent blue & white colours on the coat of arms.
Blue on its own represents the production of Spitfires during the Second World War as well as the nearby former RAF base of Wroughton.
White represents Swindon's industrial and economic present day, as well as its future. White also references the modern age of precision and quality as shown by the town's automotive and technology sectors.
Blue and white combine together to represent the 'cradle to grave' service formed in 1892 by the GWR Medical Society, a medical fund that would become the blueprint for the National Health Service.
Gold, a detailing colour on the coat of arms is used to represent Swindon's wealth and prosperity, economy and industrial heritage (the brass finishings of Great Western steam locomotives.
