Leopard symbolism
The leopards' faces, referred to as "loggerheads" locally, are a traditional emblem for Shropshire and several of its towns. It is believed that the loggerheads derive from the Royal Arms of England and that the blue and yellow colours represent those of Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury. [2] Loggerheads also appeared on the Shrewsbury town arms, themselves first recorded in 1623, solidifying their connections to the local area. The name is thought to have originated from the practice of carving such a design on the head of the log used as a battering ram. [3] It is unclear whence the feline heads originated, though some speculate they were based on the three lions on the Coat of arms of England.
The species of the animal whose face is depicted is also debated - whether they are leopards, as it traditionally held, or lions. The idea that they're leopards originates with a late 17th century document, which describe the animals on the Shrewsbury arms as leopards, which seems to be the main source. It is not uncommon for feline representations in heraldry to be ambiguous. [4]
Although based on the town arms of Shrewsbury, the county council arms differ by moving the leopards’ faces from a shield to specifically appear on three “piles” (triangles), two pointing down and one up, forming an erminois “w” shape in the negative space. This is known in heraldry terminology a “fess dancetty”. These arms were awarded to the county council on June 18th 1896, shortly after its foundation and, according to the Flag Institute, were designed College of Arms, although there exists no record of why they opted for this change
