The leopards' faces, referred to as "loggerheads" locally, are a traditional emblem for Shropshire and several of its towns.

It is believed that the loggerheads derive from the Royal Arms of England and that the blue and yellow colours represent those of Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury.

[2] Loggerheads also appeared on the Shrewsbury town arms, themselves first recorded in 1623, solidifying their connections to the local area.

The name is thought to have originated from the practice of carving such a design on the head of the log used as a battering ram.

[4] The flag (with the short-lived "white" ermine pattern instead of the erminois) was flown above the Department for Communities and Local Government in April 2011 as part of a scheme to promote traditional English counties.