Heraldic Shield

The Heraldic Shield has a background of red, surrounded by a border in “or” representing the boundaries of the designated site of the new town of Newton Aycliffe.  The chevron across the shield is in “argent” and is an allusion to the bridge over St. Cuthberts Way linking the town with Aycliffe Industrial Park.  The sheaves of corn forming the garbs in the shield are taken from the Arms of the Eden Family, of whose estate the site of the new town formed a part, and the hand grenade on the chevron represents the Royal Ordnance Factory out of which the Industrial Park was converted.

The supporters in “argent” are the Lions Rampant in the Arms of the See of Durham, differenced with mail gauntlets in allusion to the military activities of the Bishops of Durham and holding Crosses Pattonce in allusion to the old form of the Arms of the See.

The Crest consists of an oak tree on a limestone cliff surmounting a helm.  The oak tree is a reference to the forests which formerly covered this part of the country from which was taken the Saxon name “acle” meaning “oak leaf”, from which the name of Aycliffe was derived.  One of the branches of the oak tree is broken and bent down to indicate the disappearance from the area of its oak forests and with a lesser branch the letter “A”, thus forming a rebus on Aycliffe.

The grant of Arms to the Aycliffe Development Corporation was made by the College of Heralds in October, 1956, and transferred to the Town Council.