National Memorial Arboretum
Latest Reviews
I have wanted to visit here for some time.I managed to persuade my hubby to take me.It is a beautiful place..calming and serene.We walked all the way around..it took us a few hours because we took in all the enormity of it.My favourite was the memorial in remembrance of the Falklands conflict.The actual exhibit is an exact replica because my hubby actually built the original in Port Stanley..The central memorial with all the names of all those who have passed away is truly humbling and i saw men quietly crying whilst there.Certainly for my husband it was a sad moment as he searched out and found the names of some of his Royal Engineer friends who went to the Falkands and never returned.
There are a couple of nice restaurants and a fabulous gift shop.
There are a couple of nice restaurants and a fabulous gift shop.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Emotional but definitely worth the visit
Source: google.com
Well made poignant memorial to those who served others
Source: google.com
Very welcoming .friendly staff lots of parking
Source: google.com
A very moving and memorable place. Very well set out with great guides and facilities.
Source: google.com
Arrived with a 9 10 and 14 year old. They all enjoyed it. We went on the train, very informative. A vintage fair was on and had some great little stalls. Had ice cream very delicious. Well worth a visit
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
An interesting day out.
Source: google.com
A wonderful and moving place to visit. Opportunity for reflection for us oldies and a must do investment of time for youngsters.
Source: google.com
What more can be said. It serves to remind us of the past in a beautiful setting.
Source: google.com
Very thought provoking.<br>Lovely well kept open spaces and beautiful Memorials to our Armed Forces
Source: google.com
We had a lovely, interesting day out.
So much to see and take in, we needed all day.
The 'train' around the area, with voice over was perfect.
Everywhere was so clean and tidy, the staff were helpful
Enjoyed our lunch too.
I cannot rate it to high
So much to see and take in, we needed all day.
The 'train' around the area, with voice over was perfect.
Everywhere was so clean and tidy, the staff were helpful
Enjoyed our lunch too.
I cannot rate it to high
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The Arboretum is easy to find just off the A38. We had no problems finding it and it was easy to park (we went on a weekday in September). There was ample disabled parking as well. It costs £3 to park but the entry costs are free. There was an exhibition there as well we didn't get time to visit it but normally you pay for that although it was free this month,
We gave ourselves 2 hours but that wasn't really enough time to see everything. If you have a connection to the forces I suspect you could easily spend a whole day there. I could probably spend a whole day there just walking around and learning.
All of the paths are flat and easy to work on. There were a few steps to the main monument but I think there is a path for wheelchairs as I saw some at the monument with the steps. If you have limited walking ability about 70% of the site can be seen via a 50 minute tram ride around the site. It stopped at monuments but I didn't see people getting out just looking from the tram. I personally preferred the walk.
The monuments are well kept along with the grounds. They looked really good to me considering the lack of water this summer.
We gave ourselves 2 hours but that wasn't really enough time to see everything. If you have a connection to the forces I suspect you could easily spend a whole day there. I could probably spend a whole day there just walking around and learning.
All of the paths are flat and easy to work on. There were a few steps to the main monument but I think there is a path for wheelchairs as I saw some at the monument with the steps. If you have limited walking ability about 70% of the site can be seen via a 50 minute tram ride around the site. It stopped at monuments but I didn't see people getting out just looking from the tram. I personally preferred the walk.
The monuments are well kept along with the grounds. They looked really good to me considering the lack of water this summer.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Beautiful place
Source: google.com
Beautiful place. Clean. Informative. Respectful. I was on an educational visit so didn't get the full experience but would make a personal visit
Source: google.com
Fantastic experience
Source: google.com
An amazing place of remembrance and celebration
Source: google.com
Very poignant experience!
Source: google.com
We visited in August 2018 on a very warm sunny day. The facilities at the Arboretum are exceptional, the guide book and grid plan are a must if you are looking for any particular memorials, although there is a touch screen and staff who are happy to help you find a memorial, however purchase of the book helps to maintain the place, which is free (you only pay to park) and run by volunteers. The guide book helped us to find the ones we visited to see, and also to explain more about others. We chose to walk, but only managed to cover a third and didn't have time to visit the indoor exhibition, even after two visits to the restaurant for a caffeine break! We will be coming back with my father at Easter 2019 as we have now read the guide book and there are so many more memorials we want to see, and I will be back again in June volunteering with RAFA. We were lucky to see the RAF100 display as well. The site is peaceful and a fitting tribute to lives lost in many different ways and we can't recommend it enough. Even my daughter who is 10 found it interesting. The whole site is inspiring and the restaurant a lovely place to sit and reflect over great coffee and food.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We had visited the 'War graves' and thought that this may be similar, but no, entirely different. Beautiful surroundings, memorials well made and very interesting. The 11am short service in the chapel was well presented and all the staff were very helpful. We will have to go again to see more of it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A fantastic memorial which I found both humbling and disturbing.. we never learn and it could happens again, God help us.
Source: google.com
Wonderful place.
Source: google.com
I came on a rainy day but this did not really impact my visit. The car parking is £3 which is fair and they only ask for donations to enter. The restaurant serves good food at a reasonable price. I covered most of the site in about two hours and found the central memorial to be a very fitting tribute to all those who have passed on active service since 1945. The shot at dawn memorial was quite moving. Overall, a good half day out.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Had a wonderful day here. It was bigger than I thought it would be. The memorials were something else, we did the train which took us all around the the place.with a running commentary saying all about the memorials. The drivers were fun as well.food was great there and so we're all the staff. I will definitely be paying this place another visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I went to the National Memorial Arboretum with my nan and her partner. Upon arrival the car park was presented very well and it was only £3 to park all day with the money going back into the up keep of the Arboretum. The entrance wasn’t far from where we parked and we was greeted by a lovely gentleman ready to tell us a little bit about the arboretum before we carried on through. We decided to go on the land train which was £6 per adult and was very good at allowing you to see where you needed to go for the main memorials you wanted to see. Each and every memorial is beautifully presented and are all special in their own ways. The arboretum is clean and also allows for nature to keep on growing, with beautiful rivers with swans and other such animals living around the arboretum. We was highly moved by this place and it was lovely to be in such a peaceful place remembering those that have passed away. I will be visiting again so i can see more there.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Had always wanted to visit and wasn’t disappointed. We’d done our research so knew we had to pay for parking which didn’t seem unusual (I thought £3 for all day was reasonable), we were not harassed to make a donation rather the volunteer did give us advise on what may make a first time visit more informative e.g. opting for the land train rather than a buggy - we’d decided to do that anyway. Agree paying for the map seemed weird but wasn’t over the top, in fact most of the big memorials are signposted so you can get away without one and there is an interactive map in the visitor centre if you need advice or help. Visitor centre is big, clean and toilets are clean. We had soup and a cuppa - good - then headed of on the train. Nice way to get an overview but difficult to take photos but gave us an idea of what we’d go back to. So bought a map and headed out on a 2 hrs walk, plenty of seats and some shelters if the weather is bad. We enjoyed the memorials and the mix and those not just for the Services was unexpected and I think a good touch - it’s is a memorial garden not just an armed services remembrance site. Agree some info on the trees would be good if that’s what your after. Had another cuppa and a cake a look round the shop and left. We were there for about 5 hrs and would recommend it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
