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Coat of arms

Here, you can learn about the history of the Thames Valley Police Authority coat of arms.

The police forces of the Royal County of Berkshire, the County of Buckinghamshire, the County of Oxfordshire, the City of Oxford and the County Borough of Reading were amalgamated to form Thames Valley Constabulary - now Thames Valley Police - on 1 April 1968.

Armorial bearings were granted to Thames Valley Police Authority on 7 September 1971.

• The shield on the coat of arms depicts a river against a green background and represents Thames Valley. The five crowns palisado, representing the five forces which were amalgamated to form Thames Valley Police, are the symbols of protection.
• The crest and supporters come from features incorporated in the arms of the then five constituent councils. The sword in scabbard held by the swan is the symbol of authority. The swan indicates the River Thames. The blue and silver collars worn by the supporters indicate Thames Valley Police.

Examination of the arms of the five Thames Valley local authorities which existed in 1968 shows what features were carried forward into the arms of Thames Valley Police Authority:

County Council of Royal Berkshire

• The crest of the County Council of Royal Berkshire shows a stag facing forward, or 'at gaze’.
• It is a variation of the old Berkshire badge used at one time by the Royal Berkshire Militia.
• According to a poem written by Drayton in 1627, a banner with the badge, or something like it, was carried by the men of Berkshire who fought at the Battle of Agincourt.

Buckinghamshire County Council

• Buckinghamshire County Council's arms also feature a stag and a swan. A Saxon crown appears in the crest.
• The swan was a badge of the ancient family of de Bohun. It was derived, with the Earldom of Essex, from the Mandervilles, who may have adopted it in token of descent from Adam FitzSwanne. Through the marriage of a de Bohun heiress, the swan passed as a badge to the Stafford Dukes of Buckingham. It found its way into civic heraldry as a charge in the arms of the Borough of Buckingham and the County Council.

Oxfordshire County Council

• Oxfordshire County Council's arms have an ox's head in the 'fess point', or centre of the shield. The supporters wear collars round their necks and the arms include heraldic representation of the River Thames and its tributaries.

City and County Borough of Oxford

• The City and County Borough of Oxford's arms show a red ox passing over a ford of water - a pun on the name of Oxford. The supporters are chained.

County Borough of Reading

• The County Borough of Reading features five maiden heads in 'saltire' which, in heraldic terms, is a cross or an 'X'.

Thames Valley Police has used the Authority's arms within a shield as a logo for use on stationery and vehicle livery.

View this information in a booklet format (PDF 145 Kb - opens new window).