Voting open to choose Cumbria's new community flag
The winning design will be unveiled at a special ceremony at Carlisle Cathedral
Voting has officially opened for residents in Cumbria to pick the design for a new community flag.
The Lord-Lieutenant and the past High Sheriff of Cumbria launched a competition in March, and with what was almost 200 entries has now been narrowed down to 6.
Voting closes at 5pm on Sunday 13 July (Five Kings Day) – a historic date marking unity and shared identity.
The winning design will be unveiled at a special ceremony at Carlisle Cathedral this autumn.
The competition is run by The Lord-Lieutenant and the High Sheriff of Cumbria, with support from, Cumberland Council, Westmorland and Furness Council, Carlisle Cathedral, the University of Cumbria, and the Flag Institute.
An official county flag was created in 1974 for use by councils and public buildings. A community flag would belong to everyone.
Which flag will you pick?
Ben Walker - The rugged landscape of the Cumbrian Mountains and Pennines is referenced by the zig-zag pattern. The heraldic 'ancient crown' represents the regions history as a Kingdom in its own right - the Kingdom of Cumbria - which ended after the Battle of Dunmail Raise. The crown can also be seen a symbolising Scarfell Pike as the tallest mountain in the Kingdom of England and the North Pennine region around Alston as the 'Roof of England'.
Janice Brown - The checked pattern recalls the patchwork of communities in the area, in the colours of England for whom the region serves as a border. They may also recall the stones that make up Hadrian's Wall which starts in the region and the bloodshed and peace it represented. The crossed swords represent the history of the region as one contested between both nations and warring Border Reiver families over the centuries.
Chris Brown - A wyvern-style dragon recalls the Welsh origins of the name Cumbria, as well as the various dragons legends and symbols of the region (such as at Renwick, Dragley Beck and the Lowther Family). The blue and green colours recall the landscape with the dragon coloured gold to contrast against this
Daniel Greenwood Mason and James Hodgson - Derived from the central part of the former council's coat- and banner-of-arms, which has then been simplified further. The design recalls the recent administrative history of the region, but is distinct from that banner of arms. As with the civic arms, the series of zig-zags in alternating colours for the various landscapes across the region
Shaun Toal - The black cross on white is drawn from that of the the regions Diocese, which is then charged with a triskele as a reference to the ancient Celtic heritage of the area. The cross shape recalls that of England of which the region serves as a border, but with colours recalling the crosses of other areas with Celtic heritage such as Cornwall, Brittany and the St David's cross of Wales, referring to the origins of the Cumbria name.
Gavin Chapman - Symbolises the three historic areas that meet at the 'Three Shire Stone'; the Furness portion of Lancashire, Westmorland and Cumberland.