County · South West England
Devon flies a white cross edged in black on a green field, dedicated to Saint Petroc: green for its hills, black for the moors of Dartmoor and Exmoor, white for the sea. Its arms, granted in 1926, set a crowned red lion beneath an ancient ship, and carry the motto of Sir Francis Drake, Auxilio Divino.
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| Country | England (United Kingdom) |
|---|---|
| County town | Exeter |
| Flag | St Petroc’s Flag, flown by the County Council since October 2006 |
| Arms granted | 11 October 1926; crest and supporters 6 March 1962 |
| Motto | Auxilio Divino — “by divine aid” |
Flag of Devon — St Petroc’s Flag, a white cross edged in black on green
The flag sets a white cross, edged in black, on a green field. Each colour stands for the land: green for Devon’s rolling hills, black for the high moors of Dartmoor and Exmoor, white for the salt spray of its two coastlines and for its china clay. Designed by Ryan Sealey, it was raised by Devon County Council outside County Hall in October 2006.
The flag is dedicated to Saint Petroc, who ministered to the Britons of Dumnonia, the old kingdom of the south-west, in the 5th and 6th centuries. Neighbouring Cornwall honours him too, but Devon counts 27 churches in his name, against 6 in Cornwall, and villages such as Petrockstowe and Newton St Petroc. His feast day, 4 June, is a day to fly the flag.
Arms of Devon County Council — granted in 1926, crest and supporters added in 1962
Devon had no arms of its own until the College of Arms granted a shield to Devon County Council on 11 October 1926.
A red crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of Richard, Earl of Cornwall; in the upper part, an ancient ship on waves, for Devon’s seafaring traditions.
A second grant, on 6 March 1962, completed the arms. The crest is the head of a Dartmoor pony rising from a naval crown, made of the sails and sterns of ships. The supporters are a Devon bull and a sea lion. The motto, Auxilio Divino, “by divine aid”, was that of Sir Francis Drake.
The flag of Devon, also called St Petroc’s Flag, is a white cross edged in black on a green field. Devon County Council has flown it outside County Hall since October 2006.
Green stands for Devon’s rolling hills, black for the high moors of Dartmoor and Exmoor, and white for the salt spray of its two coastlines and for its china clay.
The flag is dedicated to Saint Petroc, who ministered to the Britons of Dumnonia in the 5th and 6th centuries. Devon has 27 churches dedicated to him, against 6 in Cornwall.
The arms of Devon County Council show a red crowned lion on silver, the arms of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, beneath an ancient ship on waves. The crest is a Dartmoor pony rising from a naval crown, and the supporters are a Devon bull and a sea lion.
Auxilio Divino is Latin for “by divine aid”. It was the motto of Sir Francis Drake, and Devon County Council took it for its arms in 1926.
Illustrations: Wikimedia Commons.
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on October 2, 2026.