The Central element of the Coat of Arms is the Shield, which, along with the motto, dates back to when the institution was first established in 1946.
The basic shield is blue with two silver lions in the lower part, separated by a depiction of the River Severn in the wavy blue and silver lines, and all surmounted by two black Worcester pears and a sheaf of wheat.
In 1987 it was discovered that the Coat of Arms which had been in use for the past 40 years had never been granted formally, but when it was granted by the College of Arms in 1988, no changes to the original shield were required.
In 2005, on gaining full University title from the Privy Council, the University became eligible to add other elements to the shield.
Above the shield was added the mythical Sabrina after whom the River Severn is said to have been named, framed by two bulrushes which emphasise the centrality of the river to Worcester and make an allusion to the University campuses threaded along either bank. The shield is then flanked by two swan supporters also reflecting the spanning of the river. They hold in their bills a pomegranate, an ancient heraldic charge, which, in mythology, depicts persistence and regeneration.
The motto ‘Ad Inspirandum Aspiramus’ – ‘We Aspire to Inspire’ was added to the bottom to complete the Coat of Arms.
The current Coat of Arms were granted in 2006.
University of Worcester Staff News 