Blue for Shropshire education

North Shropshire College is based on a campus just outside Oswestry, and is a shining example of modern educational achievement.

The badge is a twentieth-century mash-up of ancient influences.  
The ‘lion-passant’, most famous for its presence on the arms of England, was on the arms of the old Oswestry Town Council; the (single) loggerhead and fleur-de-lys come from the arms of Shropshire County; the blue colouring comes from the Shropshire County badge; while the wavy lines must represent the River Perry, surely?  (Does anyone know for sure?)

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Oswestry's nod to the loggerheads

 
The Guildhall at Oswestry (in north Shropshire) was designed for the use of the borough council as well as the townspeople. It's said to have been designed in a 'seventeenth century renaissance, freely treated' style, whatever that means.
It opened in November 1893 - and the loggerheads adorn its friezes, as you can see.

Even though the loggerheads can represent 'Salop' generally, many towns in Shropshire (apart from Shrewsbury of course) have an ambivalent attitude toward the loggerheads; indeed, some towns just ignore them altogether.
So, it would be interesting to know why the Oswestry councillors of the 1890s adopted them on their town hall. Oswestry's arms do not carry the loggerheads.  It's a puzzle - which it would be good to have an answer to.
Please let us have your thoughts on this matter... Use the comments field just down this page, or email us direct.  

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