Design your own coat of arms!

Why not have a go at designing your own family coat of arms and discover heraldic history at the same time?

The Sutton coat of arms and crest which you can see all around the Charterhouse, was actually not originally that of our founder Thomas Sutton – because he was a commoner, he didn’t have one.  But after his death in 1611 and the extraordinary legacy he left to create a school and almshouse at the Charterhouse – many wanted to honour him, so an existing Sutton family coat of arms was found, and a magnificent memorial created (which you can see in our Chapel).

Here’s the opportunity to create a coat of arms and crest that you think represents the special things about your family. You can use crayons, paints, tin foil, coloured paper, felt…. anything you like!

For inspiration and to find out more about how crests were designed, and the significance of each of the elements within them, we’ve created an information sheet you can find here.

We would love to see your designs. Don’t forget to also tell us about your Coat of Arms and why you chose this design for you or your family.