Coat of Arms

The parish coat of arms is derived from that of Westminster Abbey. The Monks of Ampleforth Abbey, Yorkshire, served Parbold from 1884 to 2019. The monks are post-Reformation descendants of the Monks of Westminster Abbey, founded in 947 AD, restored by King Edward the Confessor in 1065 and refounded by Queen Mary Tudor in 1553.

The top left quarter of the coat of arms depicts the green Pear Tree with its golden pear, from which the village of Parbold derives its name. The top right quarter depicts the Red Rose of Lancashire. The top section of the bottom half is blue representing Our Lady, the patron of the parish, whilst the bottom section is gold and represents the other patrons, All Saints.  
The Motto “Dieu le ward” – God the Protector – is a pun on the name of the French town, Dieulouard. Here the monks of the present day Ampleforth Abbey resided from 1606 until 1789 (the French Revolution). Expelled from France in 1789, the monks travelled around the northwest of England for 13 years, seeking a new home. Their last home in the northwest, before moving to Ampleforth in 1802, was Parbold Hall.