The hall crest is divided into two halves. The upper half is described heraldically as "gules, a sun in splendour, or", a golden sun on a red background. The late Sir John Wills, Bart. of Langford Court, Somerset, grandson of the Sir George Wills who purchased Manor House for the University, kindly gave his permission for this motif to be taken from his family's coat of arms and used as part of the badge of the hall. (The University also took the "sun in splendour" from the coat of arms of the Wills family when it was granted its coat of arms in 1909.)

 

The lower half of the crest is a serpent, "nowed" or coiled. This is a grass snake, and comes from the crest of the Wolstenholme family of Neston, Co. Chester, and Liverpool. The serpent is traditionally a symbol of education, wisdom, healing and learning. The hall motto comes from Matthew X, 16 (in the Vulgate version of St. Jerome), "Estote ergo prudentes sicut serpentes, et simplices sicut columbae", (be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves).