Last modified: 2004-11-20 by rob raeside
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Durham is a city about 30 km south of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; it has a really magnificent
church (a striking Norman cathedral). The flag is a banner-of-arms and shows a red cross (fimbriated white) on black.
Marcus Schmöger, 24 September 2001
The City of Durham has a simple and attractive shield which is widely seen on
official notices, sign-posts, litter bins and other street furniture, etc.
It is a red cross on a black field, fimbriated white. There is at least one
place where this appears as a flag, in the market place outside the Council
offices. The flag is severely tattered, being little more than half its original
length, but it looks as though it is 1:2.
Note that Durham also gives its name to the county of which it is the 'capital'.
The county has a coat of arms which incorporates what is known as the 'St
Cuthbert's Cross'. This also appears in other coats of arms, but not in any
flags or banners of arms which I have seen, with the possible exception of a
rather unsatisfactory flag which was flying at Durham Castle, which is now part
of the University of Durham. It was a maroon field with a coat of arms,
including separate a motto, stuck in the middle of it - not at all heraldic.
André Coutanche, 29 October 2004
I have been in touch with both local and county record offices and they know
of no flag associated with Sunderland. One possible reason, is that unlike
Durham and Newcastle which were centres of Norman power, the area which is now
known as Sunderland had been an established English settlement since the 7th
century. However, a number of coats of arms have been granted since the 12th
century.
Michael Brown, 25 April 2003
Marcus E.V. Schmöger 24 September 2001
The word molet (more usually spelled mullet) means a star, and in Britain usually a five-pointed star. (Any other number of points is specified.) A mullet with a hole in the middle (pierced) is called a spur rowel, so the explanation in brackets is incorrect, since the mullets in both the Washington family arms and the District of Columbia flag are whole, not pierced.
Mike Oettle, 13 January 2002