Heraldry

Canterbury's Coat of Arms dates from 1380. It is described as: "Argent Three Cornish Choughs Two and one Sable Beaked and Legged Gules on a Chief of the Last a Leopard Passant Gardant Or". Here it is displayed outside Tower House in the Westgate Gardens.

The heraldic Latin means:

• Argent: there is a silver background; argent is the Latin for silver as in the chemical symbol Ag and Argentina.
• Three Cornish Choughs: these are the three birds; they are taken from the crest of Thomas Becket.
• Two and one: two on top and one below
• Sable beaked: with black beaks
• and Legged Gules: gules is red
• on a Chief of the Last: on a band above what has just been described
• a Leopard Passant: often described as lions, these are 'leopards' in heraldry; they are taken from the royal coat of arms. Passant means that they are walking with one of the front feet raised
• Gardant : they are seen from the side with the face turned towards the viewer
• Or: golden

The motto: ave mater angliae means 'hail the mother of England'.