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Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (England)

English City

Last modified: 2021-01-09 by rob raeside
Keywords: nottingham | nottinghamshire |
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[flag for nottingham] image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020
Commercial Nottingham City Council Flag (image based on this photo)

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Introduction: The City of Nottingham

Around AD 600 the area of the future Nottingham was part of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia. The first documented record of the town of Nottingham wasn't until 868, but as the town of "Snotengaham," in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This was because a Saxon chieftain named Snot and his followers built a settlement located where the future historic Lace Market in of the City can now be found.
In 867 Nottingham was captured by Danish Vikings. It later became one of the Five Burghs (fortified towns) of The Danelaw. The first Bridge over the River Trent was constructed around 920. Nottingham Castle was constructed in 1068 on a sandstone outcrop by the Trent River overlooking the bridge crossing of the river. Soon the Normans would be added into the mix, and in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, Nottingham is mentioned, but once again as "Snotingaham."
The space between the earlier defensive ditch and dirt rampart fortifications and growing settlement gradually filled in as the town grew, and the inhabits of the town, now a mixture of Danes, Anglos, Saxons and Normans gradually merged together and began thinking of themselves simply as English. The small settlement eventually evolved into the English Borough of Nottingham and housed a Town Hall and Courts.
In the mid-13th Century a stone wall was completed around much of the perimeter of the town replacing the earlier dirt walls. On the return of Richard the Lionhearted from the Crusades, the castle was occupied by supporters of Prince John, including the Sheriff of Nottingham. It was besieged by Richard and captured. In the legends of Robin Hood, Nottingham Castle is the scene of the final showdown between the Sheriff and the hero outlaw.
By the 15th Century Nottingham had become a center of a thriving export trade of religious sculptures made from Nottingham alabaster and tobacco. During the Industrial Revolution, much of Nottingham's prosperity would come from its textile industry, and especially lace-making and the cobbler industry.
The town became a county corporate in 1449 giving it in effective self-government. It was granted a city charter in 1897, as part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Nottingham's textile industry would fall into a decline in the decades following World War II and very little textile manufacturing now takes place in Nottingham.
Today a big part of the city's economy is based on tourism. It has the second highest number of overnight visitors in the Midlands and the highest number in the East Midlands, thanks in part to the Robin Hood legends surrounding its name. The city is served by three universities: the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Law, making it a center of higher education in the East Midlands.
Pete Loeser, 23 December 2020


About the Nottingham City Council flag

The website of Newton Newton Flags shows a flag for Nottinghamshire County Council as a green flag bearing the City Council's armorial bearings.
Source: Heraldry of the World: Nottingham.
Laurence Jones, 10 October 2005

The green flag depicted above is not a documented official flag of the Nottingham City Council, but is provided by a commercial manufacturer.
It reportedly has enjoyed some de-facto use by both the Council and in the city, but has yet not been verified.
Pete Loeser, 23 December 2020


City of Nottingham Coat of Arms
First granted 1614, revised 1908

[City of Nottingham Coat of Arms 1641] [City of Nottingham Coat of Arms 1908]      [City of Nottingham Coat of Arms 1908]
images located by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020

Taken verbatim from the Nottingham City Council Website:

The arms were officially recognised by the College of Arms in 1614, but it is not known how long they had been in use. They depict a rough, wooden cross in green, rising out of the base of a red shield, between two open crowns of gold with a similar crown round the lower limb of the cross.

The crest takes the form of a walled castle with three towers, all in their natural colours, standing upon a wreath of red and gold. The right-hand tower bears a silver crescent and the left hand one a golden star. In heraldry right and left are decided by the position of the bearer of the arms, not the onlooker.

Granted as a crest in 1898, it incorporates the design of the present City of Nottingham Seal which has been used as a borough seal since the 15th century, but in the seal the crescent moon and star are shown as above the towers, not on them.

The supporters of the shield are two royal stags, looking outwards and standing on rough, broken branches. Each stag wears an open golden crown round its neck.

When granted in 1898, the supporters were originally two foresters, but as these were considered unsatisfactory; they were changed to two stags in 1908. The motto; Vivit post funera virtus means Virtue survives death or Virtue outlives death.

Source: Nottingham City Council Website: Council House/Coat of Arms.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020


Nottingham City Council Logo

[Nottingham City Council Logo] image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

This logo is used in various colors and formats by the Nottingham City Council on their publications and website. It hasn't been reported as used officially on any flags.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.


City of Nottingham Flags
Commercial Flags

City of Nottingham Flag #1

[Flag for Nottingham, England] 1:2 ratio - image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

A generic Union Jack defaced with a city or county name is commonly being manufactured and sold for visitors or sport fans. This one would work for both the teams of the city of Nottingham and the shire.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020

City of Nottingham Flag #2

[Flag for Nottingham, England] 3:5 ratio - image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020
Image based on this photo.

Also a generic flag of England defaced with a city or county name is commonly being manufactured and sold for visitors or sport fans. This one would work for both the teams of the city of Nottingham and the shire.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020

City of Nottingham Flag #3

[Flag for Nottingham, England] 3:5 ratio - image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020
Image based on this photo.

This red and white version of the Union Jack is being manufactured and sold as the "Nottingham Flag" to visitors and sport fans. I suspect it is actually a fan flag for the Nottingham Forest Football Club.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020


Saint Mary the Virgin Church
Church of England

[St. Mary's Flag, Nottingham] Non-standard size - image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.
Image based on this photo taken inside St. Mary's.

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin (also known as St. Mary's in the Lace Market) is the oldest church in the city. It is the second largest church building in the city and the largest mediaeval building. (The Roman Catholic Cathedral is the largest religious structure) St Mary's Church is mentioned in the Domesday Book and is believed to date back to Saxon times. There have been at least three different churches built at its site and the present one dates back to the reigns of Edward III (1377) and Henry VII (1485-1509). An interesting bit of trivia about St. Mary's is that for several years between 1716-1770 the church was used to house the town's fire engine. There apparently is more than one way to quench hell's fires.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

Nottingham Diocese Arms

[Nottingham Diocese Arms, Church of England] image located by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

Alternate St Mary's Flag Design

[St. Mary's Flag, Nottingham] image located by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

This flag has been reported as the St Mary's church flag, but not verified.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.


Nottingham Trent University
Flag, Arms and Logos

[Nottingham Trent University] image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public research university in Nottingham. It dates back to 1843 and Nottingham Government School of Design, still a department in the university. It is the 9th largest university in the United Kingdom. The university has five campuses: City Campus, Clifton Campus, Confetti Campus, Brackenhurst and Mansfield.

[Nottingham Trent University logo and shield]    [Nottingham Trent University logo and shield]
images located by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020

Shown here are the Nottingham Trent University coat of arms and some of the logos used in university publications and their webpage.
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.


University of Nottingham
Flag, Arms and Logos

[University of Nottingham] image by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham that was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881. It was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus' are University Park, Jubilee Campus and their teaching hospital of Queen's Medical Centre which all located within the City of Nottingham. The university has a number of smaller campuses and sites in both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It also has campuses in Semenyih (Malaysia) and Ningbo (China).
Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020.

[University of Nottingham Coat of Arms]      [University of Nottinghamy logo]
images located by Pete Loeser, 21 December 2020