Introduction

The flag of Nottingham is a heraldic banner featuring the city's full coat of arms on a white field. This design is a direct representation of the city's official heraldic achievement, which includes a detailed shield, supporters, and a crest with a castle. Unlike many modern civic flags, it follows the traditional British practice of displaying a complete, complex coat of arms on the flag itself.

The central shield is divided into a cross on a red background and a pattern of ermine spots on a green background. Flanking the shield are two iconic supporters: a royal stag on the left and an archer in Lincoln green on the right, figures deeply tied to the region's history and folklore. Above the shield rests a walled castle as the crest, symbolizing Nottingham's historic status and defenses.

The flag's composition is rich in color, utilizing red, green, white, gold/yellow, and black. Its detailed and intricate nature makes it a distinctive and recognizable emblem for the city, though it is more complex than the simpler designs typically advocated by modern vexillologists.

Meaning & Symbolism

The flag's symbolism is derived entirely from the city's coat of arms, granted in 1614. The cross on the shield is believed to reference the Cross of St George, representing England, while the ermine spots on green are thought to symbolize the fields and manor of Lenton, historically connected to the city. Together, these elements on the shield denote Nottingham's place within the nation and its local governance.

The royal stag supporter represents the Royal Forest of Sherwood and the monarch's historical hunting grounds. The archer supporter clad in Lincoln green is a clear nod to the legend of Robin Hood, the famous outlaw of Sherwood Forest. The walled castle crest atop the shield signifies Nottingham's historic castle and its defensive importance as a fortified settlement.

History of the Nottingham Flag

The flag's design is based on the armorial bearings granted to the city by the College of Arms in 1614. For centuries, this coat of arms was used on seals and documents. Its adaptation into a banner of arms for use as a flag is a long-standing practice, though the exact date of its first official flag use is not precisely documented in common vexillological sources.

The flag was officially registered with the Flag Institute, the UK's national flag charity, on 20 May 2015 (UK Flag Registry entry #15). This registration formally recognized and recorded the banner of arms as the city's flag, cementing its status in the 21st century.

Curiosities

  • It is one of the few UK city flags to feature full heraldic supporters (the stag and archer) on the design, making it unusually detailed.
  • The archer supporter is one of the most direct and famous representations of the Robin Hood legend on any official civic emblem.
  • Despite its complexity, it was registered with the Flag Institute in the 21st century, showing the continued use of traditional heraldry in modern flag design.

Download Flag

Download the flag of Nottingham in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.

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Construction Sheet

The flag follows standard 3:5 proportions. The design is a heraldic banner, meaning the entire coat of arms is centered on a plain white field. The arms themselves have specific heraldic proportions, but on the flag, they are typically displayed to fill a significant portion of the central area, maintaining a clear balance and visibility of all elements including the shield, supporters, and crest.

Flags Similar to Nottingham Flag

Common Misidentifications

Rarely misidentified due to unique complexity, but may be generically recognized as a traditional British civic banner of arms.