City of Bath coat of arms on the south west facet of the Victoria Obelisk in Royal Victoria Park, Bath.
"The origin of the arms is not known. The oldest image of the arms (the above shield alone) can be seen on a map of Bath, dating from around 1568. Nevertheless rather different arms were recorded by the College of Arms during the Visitations in 1623. These arms, however, were never accepted or used by the city. The city tried in 1888 to have the old arms registered, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The city however, adopted in a local resolution, the old arms as official arms.
In 1971 the city officially applied for new arms and augmentation with supporters, crest and badge. The new arms were granted in 1971, but already in 1974 the local government reorganisation made the arms obsolete. In 1974 the Queen allowed the city to continue the arms granted in 1971. The arms itself show the city wall with two wavy bars for the Avon river and/or the mineral springs in the city. The sword is the symbol of St. Paul, the patron saint of the Abbey and city.
The crest commemorates the coronation of King Edgar in 973, showing the distinctive crown attributed to him. The crown is held by two hands as in the act of coronation.
The supporters are first mentioned in 1590. The city did not always use supporters and also not always the same supporters. The meaning of the two supporters is not known. The shoulder badges show two keys and a sword, the combined symbols of St. Peter and St. Paul, the two patron saints of the Abbey. The wards of the keys are shown in the shape of the letter B for Bath.
The supporters stand on two oak leaves. These refer to the legend of King Bladud, said to have discovered the mineral springs when he was herding his pigs.
The motto is the Roman name for the city, meaning the Water of Sul (Minerva)."
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NOTE: The English Heritage site lists this plaque as the 'crest of [Prince] Albert'. This is either incorrect, or since the last survey has been replaced. I suspect the former."Obeslik with tripartite base, set within circular balustrade. Dated 1837. By G.P. Manners, city architect. Triangular section obelisk, approx. 10m high, with flattened arrises, base sweeps out, beneath band of Vitruvian scroll moulding; large triangular plinth (inscribed at top of each facet) with small wreaths to arrises. Thick egg-and-dart cornice surrounds main shaft of plinth. On west side is a low profile relief of the Princess, set within an oak-leaf wreath with fillets; south west and north west facets have square recesses with the crests of Albert (in bronze) and Victoria (in stone). Widened arrises sweep out to form bases of three lions couchant on stepped plinths. Whole enclosed by balustraded circle.
HISTORY: This memorial was raised to commemorate not the accession, but the coming-of-age of Princess Victoria: it was actually inaugurated on her Coronation Day, 28th June 1838. Of great importance as a key visual incident in Royal Victoria Park, as a striking Neo-classical monument, and as the earliest of the numerous public monuments erected to Queen Victoria. Early designs by Manners included a fountain and the replacement of the lions with dolphins. The design owes something to one of 1827 by Henry Goodridge for a commemorative lamp post, also triangular in plan with sentinel lions (illus. In `Beyond Mr Pulteney¿s Bridge¿ 1987 exhib. Cat., 35). Victoria Park was laid out in 1830 on the former Barton Fields, an area of common land and was opened by the Duchess of Kent with her daughter, Princess Victoria, on October 23rd 1830. It was the country's first municipal park."
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