Historic County Flags Day

Fly the flag for your county

Each 23 July, Historic County Flags Day invites people across Britain to celebrate the counties through their flags. Individual County Days focus on one county; this is the shared occasion on which many county flags can fly together.

How the celebration began

The first Historic County Flags Day took place on 23 July 2014. The Association of British Counties initiated the observance, with support from the Flag Institute and the then Department for Communities and Local Government. The Flag Institute’s announcement of June 2014 provides contemporary evidence of that support.

British County Flags attributes the original initiative to Brady Ells of the Association of British Counties. The choice of 23 July recalls the date recorded for the Devon flag in 2002, a prominent example in the growth of the modern county flag movement. The UK Flag Registry gives Devon’s flag date as 23 July 2002.

Old identities, new shared symbols

County flags draw on several kinds of history. Some use familiar heraldic emblems; others are designs selected through recent community competitions. Their colours and symbols can carry stories about landscapes, faith, industry and local tradition.

Registering a flag records the design as a public symbol. It does not create the county, establish a County Day or confer statutory status on a celebration. The counties’ geographical and cultural identities exist independently of these processes.

From local flags to Parliament Square

On 23 July 2019, the Government announced the raising of 50 registered county flags from England, Scotland and Wales in Parliament Square, displayed until 26 July. In July 2021 it reported a display of 52. These are historical counts for those events, rather than current Registry totals.

A ministerial answer dated 27 May 2025 confirmed that individual historic county days were managed by the Speaker’s Office, with flags flown in New Palace Yard. It separately described plans for the shared July display in Parliament Square. The two settings should not be confused.

Join in on 23 July

Choose your county’s public flag from our directory. Display it at home, at a community venue or as part of an exhibition. Schools can connect a flag with a map, a local story and a piece of historical evidence; organisations can share the meaning of the design alongside their display.

If you arrange a public event, make it welcoming to newcomers and longstanding residents alike. Add clear access information and explain which geographic county is being celebrated. For practical flag display, consult the Flag Institute’s protocol guide and the rules relevant to your location.