![[Flag of Church in Wales]](../images/g/gb-ciw.gif)
Željko Heimer, 4 September 2001
Last modified: 2020-07-04 by rob raeside
Keywords: wales | church in wales | celtic cross |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
Željko Heimer, 4 September 2001
![[Flag of Church in Wales]](../images/g/gb-ciw2.gif)
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 30 December 2001
Based on a recent photo this flag appears to be 2:1, in contrast to the one shown above by Željko Heimer. Also, all the spaces inside the emblem appears golden, instead of some blue in the background, and it is smaller than previously depicted. The crosses' arms inside each four squares seem to be trefoils.
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 30 December 2001
The provincial [church] flag is a white flag with a blue cross centred by a
Celtic cross (black and white picture attached). The heraldic description is
Argent, on a Cross Azure a Celtic Cross Or.
Hendrik Haye, 14 December 2004
A more elaborate version of
this flag is shown at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Church_in_Wales_flag.svg.
Ron Lahav,
8 January 2009
![[Saint-David's Cross]](../images/g/gb-dewi.gif)
by António Martins-Tuvalkin, 18 August 2001
The gold cross on black of St David has, as far as I know, never had
an official status in Wales. The nearest to it was that it was used by
Anglican churches in Wales before disestablishment in 1921. I have never
seen it flying - the nearest was a banner of the arms of the diocese of
St David's which flew from my college on St David's day. The only written
reference for the gold-and-black flag I have seen is in Carr (1961).
Roy Stilling, 21 November 1995
According to Carr (1961), Flags of the World, a black cross on gold was used by Welsh Anglican churches until 1954. '[It] is said to have been taken from the arms of the manors of Llawhaden and Pebidiog (anciently known as Dewisland [NB: Dewi Sant is the Welsh for St David]), of which the early bishops of St David's were barons' (p66). This, of course, is the reverse of the gold cross on black flag previously mentioned.
However, the arms of the bishopric of St David's are a gold cross on
black, like the flag mentioned, but with four outline black cinquefoils
in the arms of the cross. I spent three years in Wales at university and
I too never saw a cruciform flag being flown instead of the Red
Dragon. However, on St David's Day (1st March), my college - St David's
University College, Lampeter (Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant, Llanbedr Pont
Steffan for any Welsh-speakers) - flew a banner of the arms of St David's.
Roy Stilling, 3 September 1996
For more details about this flag, see our page on the St. David's flag.
Each diocese bears arms (6).
While English dioceses hoist the St.
George flag with a distinguishing mark in the canton, usually the arms or a
simplification of the arms of the diocese, the Welsh dioceses hoist banners of
arms, as far as I could trace their flags. Usual churches, i.e. churches not
being cathedrals, probably are hoisting the flag of the Church in Wales, as
their English equivalents hoist the St. George flag without distinguishing mark.
Welsh dioceses have furthermore badges with a twinned shield, all displaying the
arms of the Church of Wales in the dexter shield and the diocese arms in the
sinister shield. The whole is surrounded by a golden belt with black inscription
“THE CHURCH IN WALES - YR EGLWYS YNG NGHYMRU”
Klaus-Michael Schneider,
7 October 2019
![[Diocese of Bangor]](../images/g/gb-ciwsd.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 October 2019
Based on this photograph, seen at St. Daniel's Cathedral, Bangor, described in blazon as "Gules a bend Argent gutty of pitch (Guttè de poix) and flanked by two mullets of the same."
The flag I spotted had four drops, Wikipedia displays nine drops, the website of the local St. Daniel's Cathedral displays seven drops.
The number of drops varies - the
diocesan
website displays 7 drops on a coat of arms, as does a
stock photo of the cathedral. According to
https://heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Diocese_of_Bangor,
the arms were granted in 1512 and it seems the Wikipedia artist decided on the
number of drops as a stylistic choice. (Note, many arms on Wikipedia use the
public blazon to make their own versions to avoid any copyright concerns). Even
the College of Arms did not note on how many drops are supposed to be present;
"Gules, a bend Or guttee-de-poix between two pierced mullets argent" was the
official blazon given by the College of Arms.
Zachary Harden, 20
June 2020
![[Diocese of St Davids]](../images/g/gb-cifsd.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 October 2019
It is a banner of arms: Sable parted by
a centred cross Or, charged with five cinquefoils Sable.
The cinquefoils are
said to be representations of burnet roses (Latin: Rosa pimpinellifolia)
(image:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibernell-Rose#/media/Datei:294_Rosa_pimpinellifolia.jpg)
Source: leaflet of the city of St Davids (Welsh: Tyddewi)
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 October 2019
![[Diocese of Swansea and Brecon]](../images/g/gb-ciwsb.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 October 2019
Diocese of Swansea and Brecon (Welsh: Esgobaeth Abertawe ac Aberhonddu)
The flag is a banner of arms, parted per fess of dark blue over yellow. In the
middle of the blue half is an eagle reguardant Or on a bladed demi-wheel of the
same. The yellow half is charged with an unsymmetrical fleur- de-lis Azure.
The diocese was established in 1923 and had before been the Archdeaconry of
Brecon (Welsh: Aberrhonddu) within the Diocese of St David’s. Its
cathedral is former Brecon Priory, having the patron saint John the Evangelist.
The eagle is his attribute. The wheel usually is an attribute of St. Catherine.
I couldn’t find out, which relationship is between the saint and the diocese.
The fleur-de-lis usually is an attribute of St. Mary, but as Tuberose (Latin:
Agave polianthes) it is also an attribute of St. Joseph, patron saint
of the cathedral in Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe).
Source:
https://www.mrflag.com/product/diocese-swansea-brecon-professional-quality-flag/
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 October 2019
