A Flag for Somerset competition - voting closed

The competition judges created a shortlist of 13 contenders from around 300 entries received from across the county as part of the contest.

Votes are now being counted and the result will be announced in due course.

Somerset is the only county in the region not to have a flag so our competition, run with our sister papers and websites in partnership with law firm Pardoes, aims to put that right.

We invited anyone who lives, works or was born in the county to submit designs which were shortlisted on Monday by judges Deborah Meaden, Dragons’ Den investor and Somerset entrepreneur; Robin Ashburner, past president of the Flag Institute; Tom Mayberry, head of heritage at Somerset County Council; Tamsin Curnow, editor of BBC Somerset; Nigel Muers-Raby, head of marketing at Pardoes, Col Tony McMahon, and Somerset County Gazette editor Alex Cameron.

After viewing the entries, Deborah Meaden said: “The competition has caught the imagination of Somerset people from across the whole age range – it’s fantastic to see such creativity in our county.

“There’s a clear sense that people have a cohesive view of what Somerset is all about in terms of the imagery and symbolism used.”

Nigel Muers-Raby, head of marketing at Pardoes, added: “We were all astonished at the very high standard of entries and had a difficult task narrowing the field down.

“Judges were particularly excited by the number of entries from schoolchildren in Somerset and three of the finalists are aged under 15.”

Robin Ashburner, chairman of the judging panel and past president of the Flag Institute said: “Congratulations and thank you to all those who took part. I am confident that the winning flag from the public vote will be flown with pride right across the county.”

The winner of the competition will be the entry which receives the most public votes. The designer of the winning design will get £250 and there will be a bottle of bubbly (or substitute if under 18) for two runners-up. The winning design will be refined where necessary, eg colours made complete and pencil marks/brush strokes removed.

For terms and conditions, more information and terms and conditions updates, click here.

FLAG 48 (above)

FLAG 49 (above)

FLAG 50 (above)

FLAG 51 (above)

FLAG 52 (above)

FLAG 53 (above)

FLAG 54 (above)

FLAG 55 (above)

FLAG 56 (above)

FLAG 57 (above)

FLAG 58 (above)

FLAG 59 (above)

FLAG 60 (above)

Explanatory notes (where given)

48 – Green for the hills and countryside, blue for the waterways, wetlands and coast, a golden sun and Somerset dragon.

49 – Blue and white waves represent the water of the Levels, moors, sea, rivers and canal and is a heraldic device. Hill represents the hills of the county, and the green represents the agricultural land; the hill also represents Glastonbury Tor as an iconic symbol in the middle of the county, which in itself represents historical connections and the famous festival of today. The tower represents the many church towers of the county. Somerset dragon also represented.

50 – Purple for the heather on Exmoor, yellow for the gorse of the Blackdowns, green for the lush grass.

57 – Red Dragon (rampant) has been associated with Somerset for centuries and is the county’s most recognised symbol. Gold/yellow represents ‘Sumorsaete’ The people of the land of summer – as called by the Saxons and ‘Gwlad yr haf’ Land of summer as called by the Welsh/Celts. Top left blue band represents the sky with the bottom right blue band the Bristol Channel and coastal land. Bottom left green band represents the pasture and agricultural land, and the top green band the hills and moorland. White cross is in keeping with the South West and flags of the bounding counties of Devon, Dorset and Gloucestershire (not Wiltshire) and the county of Cornwall.

59 – Maroon acknowledges the colours of Somerset County Cricket Club; green, white and gold represents the colours of the countryside as well as Yeovil Town FC. Dragon for its historical links the county. Other symbols represent the Kings of Wessex, the water of the coastline and Levels and the apple/cider industry.