On 7 February 2011 the Town Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr Michael Clarke and his wife Maria, hosted a small celebration to mark the 50^th anniversary of the Royal College of Arms’ decision to grant the then Burnham Urban District Council permission to uses its official coat of arms on all its material.

In 1959 Burnham-on-Sea Urban District Council held a competition to design a Coat of Arms.  One half of the shield was to bear symbols representing the town of Highbridge and the other half to bear symbols representing the town of Burnham-on-Sea.

The design chosen was that drawn by 17 year 0ld Miss Diana Lee, and Miss Lee (now Mrs Diana Perry) was the guest of honour at the 7 February ceremony.

Highbridge a market town is represented by the “high bridge” (the original no longer exists) which gave its name to the town, and by the bulls’ heads which represent its market and agricultural interests.  The heraldic water is the base of the shield, consisting as it does of wavy bars alternately white and blue, represents the River Brue at Highbridge, and also the sea at Burnham, the gold “field” in chief representing the sands at Burnham.  The old lighthouse and the setting sun also have reference to Burnham and its westerly outlook over the sea.

The motto: “LUMEN MONSTRO PRO SALUTE”  means “I SHINE A LIGHT FOR SAFETY”

Burnham-on-Sea Urban District Council received a grant of armorial bearings the date of the patent is 1 February 1961 - Fifty years ago.

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