These are our Durham County & Darlington District badges,
showing the cross of St. Cuthbert and the Sockburn Worm.
Find out about the Darlington badge below.
The History of the District Badge
During the 1967 celebrations of Darlington Town’s centenary as a County Borough, the Council discontinued the use of the old unregistered Coat of Arms, designed and registered a new one at the cost of some £400, to which was added a Royal Lion en Rampant, granted for use by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To balance this Royal Lion in the design and to add to the heraldic effect, the Council adopted the design of the slain Sockburn Werme because of it’s close association to Darlington. The Ancient Hall at Sockburn, where by long descent Conyers was Lord there, is little to be seen and the old churchyard and Church, where the Lords knelt in life and slept in death, is now in ruins. The later built Conyers Chapel retains a few of the Conyers monuments, including the effigy of a Knight in chain armour with his right hand on his sword, these possibly preventing the extinction of the Conyers memory at Sockburn for not one acre of land in the County is held by one of that name.
The Legend
A legend still lingers of this place, and a doughty Knight, Sir John Conyers Kt., which in the words of an old writer is as follows:-
“Sir John Conyers Kt. Slew that monstrous
and poisonous vermin, Wyvern, Aske or
Werme, which had slain and devoured many
people in fight, for the scent of it’s
poison was so strong, that no person might 
abide by it. And by the providence of the
Almighty God, the said Sir John Conyers Kt.
overthrew the said monster and slew it.
Before he made this enterprize, having but
one sonne, went to Church at Sockburn in
complete armour and offered up his only
son to the Holy Ghost. The place where the
monster was slain is named Greystone. And
this Sir John Conyers lyeth buried in
Sockburn Church in complete armour of the
time before the Conquest.”
The condition of tenure, as laid down at that
time on Sockburn Manor contained the
following:- When a new Bishop of Durham
comes into his Diocese, the Lord of Sockburn
shall met him in the middle of the River Tees
at Neasham Ford if the state of the river allows,
or if not, on the Croft Bridge and shall address
him in these words:-
“My Lord Bishop, I here present you with
the Falchion (sword) wherewith the Champion
Conyers slew the Werme, Dragon or Fiery
Serpent that destroyed man, woman and
child, in the memory of which, the King
then reigning gave him the Manor of
Sockburn, to hold by tenure, and that upon
the first entry of every Bishop, of and
into this County, this Falchion should be
presented to him.”
The Bishop takes the Falchion into his hands, returns it and says his wishes and blessings to the Lord of Sockburn on his health and the long enjoyment of the Manor.
THE SOCKBURN WORM
A poem by James Conway published in 1872
Where Sockburn’s fair ancestral hall “And when the slimy monster shall
Stands by the woodland Tees,
In fertile Vale, surrounded by
It’s tall majestic trees;
There, as oft old legends say
A thousand years ago,
A creature of immeasurable length
Did fill the land with woe.
Each morning, from the silv’ry stream,
It crawled, in angry mood
Until a maiden went to it
With nine cows’ milk for food;
But if neglect, or chance occurred
To cause the maid delay
In anger fierce it did devour
All that came it’s way.
And often priest, with prayer and cross
To drive it then essayed;
While steel-clad knights, with sword and spear
There greatest efforts made;
But all the prayers of Holy priest
Were offered up in vain;
Nor could a knight inflict a wound
To cause it mortal pain.
For tho’ it’s body oft had been
By sharp blade severed through,
By some unearthly means the parts
United were anew;
And thus the monster long did fill
Fair Sockburn with affright;
Few dared to tread the vale by day,
None ventured there at night.
At length a knight of Arthur’s court,
On martial actions bent,
To kill the worm, and gain renown,
Was by the Monarch sent;
Then while the warrior forward rode,
His mission to fulfil,
He met a palmer by the way
Well versed in martial skill.
“Go thou” said he, “when Tees’ broad stream,
Swelled by the melting snow,
Fair Hurworth’s plains, and Dinsdale banks,
It’s limits shall o’erflow,
Thou’lt find a stone within the stream
On which thou’lt stand, I ween,
Encased in armour strongly made
Set around with razors keen.”
Around thee closely coil,
The sharpen’d blades shall deeply cut
Into it’s flesh the while;
And still as thy strong arm shall cut
It’s snake like body through,
The stream shall bear the part away,
Ere it shall join anew.”
The warrior went when flooded Tees
Swept o’er it’s borders green,
And stood encased in armour strong,
Set round with razors keen;
And when the monster up the stream
Went for it’s morning meal,
He on it’s head a heavy blow
With his good sword, did deal.
Against him, then, it furious rush’d,
And twined him closely round,
While his sharp razors did inflict
Full many a ghastly wound,
Until the Tees, as it ran past,
A tempest-swollen flood,
From Sockburn to the ocean, was
Polluted with it’s blood.
And ever, as the fearless knight
Cut it’s long body through,
The severed part was seaward borne
Ere it join anew;
‘Till swept away, in fragments small
No portion did remain
Of that foul monster that had wrought
Fair Sockburn so much pain.
Now often, in fair Teesdale dale,
Have heard this legend old,
By men related who believed
The wond’rous tale they told;
And I have heard, more wond’rous still,
The worm conjoined again,
And now, the great sea-serpent call’d
Frequents the Southern Main.