The Armorial Bearings granted to the Eastwood Town Council by Letters Patent dated 12th May 1980.
Description Arms: Lozengy Argent and Sable on a Chief Or an Annulet of the second between two Torteaux.
Crest: Upon a Helm with a Wreath and Gules in front of a Wheel issuing therefrom Argent a rounded Mount Sable lozengy Argent rising therefrom in its Flames a Phoenix proper.
Motto: We Seek the Best (Optima Pe Temus)
Interpretation
The Town Council’s Armorial Bearings consist of the Arms of the former Eastwood Urban District Council, granted in 1951, now enhanced by the addition of a Crest which more fully symbolises the Town’s interests and achievements. In both elements of the Bearings, the Coal Industry plays an important part and is represented by black diamonds.
Coal has been of vital importance to the growth and prosperity of Eastwood and fully justifies its key position in the Armorial Bearings.
In the Crest, Flames rising from the black diamonds depict the energy derived from coal, and appearing out of the flames is a Phoenix, the mythical bird which the author D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) adopted as his emblem. This serves as a reminder that Eastwood was Lawrence’s birthplace and his early home.
Behind the Phoenix, a railway wheel signifies the Town’s role in the development of Britain’s railways, for it was at the ‘Sun Inn’ in 1832 that steps were taken to create the Midland Counties Railway, a major constituent of the Midland Railway. The three circles at the top of the Arms represent Eastwood’s sporting life and its involvement in the worlds of cricket and bowls.