Tweeted by Councillor Tim Mitchell on 21 January 2022: "We've officially
unveiled the new Isle of Axholme flag today! The concept/design of local
historian Robert Fish along with students from The Axholme Academy - it reflects
the heritage and topography of the Isle."
Tweeted by Robert Fish: Some
of those who have seen the photo of the Isle flag from yesterday's release have
asked what it represents. Four years ago I began writing my series of books on
Axholme and I got to thinking that such a defined and special place should have
a more 'public' identity. A flag seemed to be a start. Thanks to the Friends of
the Isle group that has now become a reality. Below is the justification and
symbolism.
The 4 blue stripes across the flag represent the Isle’s four
boundary rivers -Trent, Don, Idle and Torne
Taken together with the green, the stripes also represent strip farming
from the Isle’s past (though the dominant blue references the Isle’s watery
landscape pre-drainage).
Looked at in the 4 quadrants there are 12 ‘mini’ stripes that represent
the Isle’s 12 parishes.
The gold cross with red surround is a reversal of that from the
Lincolnshire flag (the Axholme flag only uses the colours found on the flag
of the mother county – red, blue green and yellow).
The yellow cross represents the fields of wheat as does the wheatsheaf
(though is taken from the arms of the Sheffield family who owned a
significant section of the Isle).
The red shield on which the sheaf sits is taken from the background of
the Mowbray shield, landowners before the Sheffields.
The cross could also be seen represent the Isle two main thoroughfares
The A161 from north to south and the A18 (now also the M18) from east to
west that split the Isle into the sections.
image
located by Jason Saber, 2 February 2022