National Memorial Arboretum
Latest Reviews
We have wanted to visit here for a while now and haven’t had the chance until today. You need a whole day as there is just so much to see. The memorials are poignant and interesting and all have a point to them and tell a story. This is a very uplifting and humbling place which is beautifully maintained and clean. Cafe food was lovely and not overpriced which is often the case. It is free to enter, parking £3 for whole day and we certainly got our money worth. If you have never been here I would absolutely recommend a visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited today been before but a long while ago. What a surprise. It is so worth a visit. It’s the most beautiful place so clean and peaceful. We had a breakfast in the cafe before going out and about. It was such a hot day that we only managed a small part of it . So many memorials but well worth seeing. Plenty of seating round and about so that is helpful. Anyone thinking of going I would say don’t hesitate go and visit. Staff very friendly could not fault them.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited the Arboretum for the first time on Armed Forces Day. This is an amazing place providing remembrance for all the participants and fallen in conflicts around the world. The site is well laid out and maintained. All the facilities are spotless. The staff are friendly, helpful and personable. This is a must visit for anyone whose family have had any military connections over the years. I feel that unless there is a specific event on this attraction could be lost on the very young. Will return to shed a few more tears and remember those who have served our nation.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I wanted to visit this place a long time ago I went yesterday with my friends from The Royal British Legion .What a beautiful place so peaceful to collect your thoughts there was lots to see and lots of walking.There was a train for the public to go on at not much cost The train took you round the memorial Arboretum beautiful scenery but sad moments too. There is also a travel buggy were staff took people for short journeys to the place they wanted to go.which is brilliant.There was plenty of cafes and shops toilets I found all the staff very friendly and went out of there way to help one visit is not enough I will go back again
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
If you have family past or present In the British armed forces I would highly recommend making a visit . This was not at all what I expected .100’s of individual forces memorials and thousands of symbolically planted trees and statues. Take the train if you are in any way finding it hard to get around as this is a HUGE area to cover on foot. Take your family regiment details and see if you can Trace their history
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Yet again a fantastic day at the NMA. Friendly staff, immaculate throughout and a lovely atmosphere.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The National Memorial Arboretum is one of those places that you must visit. You can take a gentle stroll from one memorial to another whilst remembering those lives sacrificed in war and conflict. From front line troops in war zones to the local Bobby on the beat, children and animals.
This is certainly a thought provoking place, but we'll worth a visit. There is a coffee shop and restaurant on site, with toilets in the main reception building and at various points around the site.
Dogs are allowed in certain areas. Then complete your visit by visiting the shop which has a wide assortment of items.
This is certainly a thought provoking place, but we'll worth a visit. There is a coffee shop and restaurant on site, with toilets in the main reception building and at various points around the site.
Dogs are allowed in certain areas. Then complete your visit by visiting the shop which has a wide assortment of items.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Lovely place, very peaceful. Nice to have somewhere to go to pay your respects to so many people who lost their lives defending our country and also other people who were not members of the armed forces e.g. Fire and police services. Would recommend a visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Have been meaning to go here for years and finally got around to it. It was Armed Forces Day so very busy and had to use overflow car park. Not bad as all parking is only £3 per day and rest of visit is free.
Had a snack lunch then seemed to walk for miles visiting lots of memorials. Some like the Polish one required a lot of reading.
Not able to cover everything on a very hot Sunday so aim to go back in cooler weather
Had a snack lunch then seemed to walk for miles visiting lots of memorials. Some like the Polish one required a lot of reading.
Not able to cover everything on a very hot Sunday so aim to go back in cooler weather
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We have visited here a few times now, with something new to see every time we go. Parking is £3 for the whole day and admission to the Arboretum is free. There are so many wonderful monuments to see in beautiful surroundings. Allow a whole day to see everything. Highly recommended that everyone should visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We were surprised at how many people were there, but spread out in the 300-acre site, there was an amazing sense of tranquillity. We met up in the reasonably-priced café. Car parking costs £3 for the day and entrance to the Arboretum is free.
This is not a War Graves Cemetery. So many trees have dedications, no serried ranks of headstones, just lots of care expressed in many different ways for those who have given their lives in service to us. Armed Forces in many forms, and other public servants including Police, Fire & Rescue, Ambulance, RNLI. Then those belonging to other organisations who died in the course of other duties.
Every memorial has a story. We took the land-train and were treated to a superb commentary as we meandered through the site and along the bank of the River Tame.
Having whetted our appetites, in both senses, we had lunch and then set off on foot to visit those places we had ear-marked on the tour or had identified on the map. There is so much to discover. Brilliant architecture, astronomy-based features, really creative ideas abound
All-in-all a wonderful day, not to be forgotten, possibly to be repeated!
This is not a War Graves Cemetery. So many trees have dedications, no serried ranks of headstones, just lots of care expressed in many different ways for those who have given their lives in service to us. Armed Forces in many forms, and other public servants including Police, Fire & Rescue, Ambulance, RNLI. Then those belonging to other organisations who died in the course of other duties.
Every memorial has a story. We took the land-train and were treated to a superb commentary as we meandered through the site and along the bank of the River Tame.
Having whetted our appetites, in both senses, we had lunch and then set off on foot to visit those places we had ear-marked on the tour or had identified on the map. There is so much to discover. Brilliant architecture, astronomy-based features, really creative ideas abound
All-in-all a wonderful day, not to be forgotten, possibly to be repeated!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is a must for EVERYONE to visit. An amazing place run by a dedicated and passionate team. My Grandad has a plaque here and out of literally 1000s I went straight to it. The food in the cafe is also excellent. The day we were there so we're the Gurkhas, and what polite, well mannered, and very smart young men they are. If you haven't been already put it on the top of your list of things to do.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is our second visit in a month. The first was for only 2 hours, not long enough, so today we spent 5 hours walking around the site.
So much to see, and so many 'lump in the throat' moments.
'The Christmas Truce' display and the 'Shot at Dawn' exhibit. This named all those young men, shot at dawn for military offences, including 'desertion'. Thankfully the government has accepted that shell shock was a valid reason, and all those young men have been pardoned.
All kinds of services are recognised, like fire and rescue, the WI, the Scouts, Wrens, and many different armed services around the world, who came to the fore in our conflicts.
So much to see, and so many 'lump in the throat' moments.
'The Christmas Truce' display and the 'Shot at Dawn' exhibit. This named all those young men, shot at dawn for military offences, including 'desertion'. Thankfully the government has accepted that shell shock was a valid reason, and all those young men have been pardoned.
All kinds of services are recognised, like fire and rescue, the WI, the Scouts, Wrens, and many different armed services around the world, who came to the fore in our conflicts.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A place like this has been a long time coming in the UK. The space itself is beautiful and has some wonderful, poignant memorials and not only to the military. It was sad to see more names being added to the wall commemorating the fallen since world war two. I could quite easily have spent the whole day here and plan to do so when I return in the near future. Next time I will use a guided headset but on this occasion we stopped whilst driving on to another engagement. Do plan to visit for a good amount of your day if you visit the arboretum. There is a good amount of parking and a great visitor centre.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Have wanted to visit here for ages and it didn't disappoint. Very thought provoking and humbling. The most poignant for us was the "Shot At Dawn" memorial, it speaks for itself.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Wonderful site with much thought, detail and respect.
We booked a VIP tour which included a personal and very knowledgeable guide for the day, transport around the site by buggy and a 2 course lunch with waitress service.
What amazing value for money that booking was.
Our guide was wonderful and spent time getting to know us and what we would like to see before we set off, making sure the key areas were visited and the best route planned. This made it bespoke totally to us.
The buggy allowed maximum use of the time there and easy access for my mum who has mobility issues.
The lunch was a hot dinner with a wide choice of meals and deserts , served at a fully dressed table in the main restaurant. Excellent and good size portions.
Cannot fault our day. The site is well maintained , staff well trained and helpful and all facilites clean.
Sites like this need to be seen and appreciated by everyone. Go see. And ask for David Baddel to do the tour.
We booked a VIP tour which included a personal and very knowledgeable guide for the day, transport around the site by buggy and a 2 course lunch with waitress service.
What amazing value for money that booking was.
Our guide was wonderful and spent time getting to know us and what we would like to see before we set off, making sure the key areas were visited and the best route planned. This made it bespoke totally to us.
The buggy allowed maximum use of the time there and easy access for my mum who has mobility issues.
The lunch was a hot dinner with a wide choice of meals and deserts , served at a fully dressed table in the main restaurant. Excellent and good size portions.
Cannot fault our day. The site is well maintained , staff well trained and helpful and all facilites clean.
Sites like this need to be seen and appreciated by everyone. Go see. And ask for David Baddel to do the tour.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
What a fitting tribute to the men and women who have fallen in the service of this country.
Laid out in well manicured grounds are tributes to all branches of the armed services as well as other service groups such as the police and St. John’s ambulance and war time services with the Land Girls and Women's Timber Corps being among the many services honoured.
During our visit a commemoration of National Service was in progress and walking around the grounds with both military band music and a very good female singer rendering songs such as “we’ll meet again” and “white cliffs of Dover” along with the sight of hundreds of veterans, medals on display, added real poignancy to our visit.
The grounds are free to enter, although a donation is expected, there seems to be ample car parking at a reasonable £3, and the main building houses both a coffee shop and restaurant providing quite reasonable fare. Also in the main building are the reception, where you can book tours etc. an exhibition space and a souvenir shop.
Overall a very pleasant place to stroll around while reflecting on our country’s service personnel even if you have no direct connection with the persons remembered or with the forces. I personally enjoyed finding a memorial to my own very small branch in the Royal Naval area, as well as dedications to ships I had served on.
I must thank all the staff and volunteers for making this tribute so enjoyable.
Laid out in well manicured grounds are tributes to all branches of the armed services as well as other service groups such as the police and St. John’s ambulance and war time services with the Land Girls and Women's Timber Corps being among the many services honoured.
During our visit a commemoration of National Service was in progress and walking around the grounds with both military band music and a very good female singer rendering songs such as “we’ll meet again” and “white cliffs of Dover” along with the sight of hundreds of veterans, medals on display, added real poignancy to our visit.
The grounds are free to enter, although a donation is expected, there seems to be ample car parking at a reasonable £3, and the main building houses both a coffee shop and restaurant providing quite reasonable fare. Also in the main building are the reception, where you can book tours etc. an exhibition space and a souvenir shop.
Overall a very pleasant place to stroll around while reflecting on our country’s service personnel even if you have no direct connection with the persons remembered or with the forces. I personally enjoyed finding a memorial to my own very small branch in the Royal Naval area, as well as dedications to ships I had served on.
I must thank all the staff and volunteers for making this tribute so enjoyable.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We had a wonderful day here, faultless except for the obnoxious land train driver. Such a shame, he spoilt an otherwise peaceful and emotional day amongst stunning and meaningful memorials. Our advice; be cautious which driver you have on the land train. Our driver was loud, argumentative, confrontational, rude, disrespectful and worst of all he thought he was an hilarious comedian but in fact ruined our day.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
-extensive military memorials in well manicured grounds
-large car park, restaurant & shop
-very friendly and helpful guides - most I believe are volunteers
-beautiful grounds and organised memorial sections
-there was more to see than I anticipated
-I arrived at 9am & spent a leisurely 3 hours on site
-early in the morning, I was literally the only visitor around and enjoyed complete tranquility in the woods & glades near the river.
-CAUTION! As the morning matured, the hoards arrived including coach loads of visitors and quickly the ‘magic’ was gone.
-I guess a high population of visitors is inevitable for this venue.
-Nevertheless, I completed my ‘visit objectives’ very nicely & left as the crowds took over.
-Highly recommended - but maybe pick your time of day of visit - if you have that flexibility.
-large car park, restaurant & shop
-very friendly and helpful guides - most I believe are volunteers
-beautiful grounds and organised memorial sections
-there was more to see than I anticipated
-I arrived at 9am & spent a leisurely 3 hours on site
-early in the morning, I was literally the only visitor around and enjoyed complete tranquility in the woods & glades near the river.
-CAUTION! As the morning matured, the hoards arrived including coach loads of visitors and quickly the ‘magic’ was gone.
-I guess a high population of visitors is inevitable for this venue.
-Nevertheless, I completed my ‘visit objectives’ very nicely & left as the crowds took over.
-Highly recommended - but maybe pick your time of day of visit - if you have that flexibility.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited with friends, arrived for the 11am introduction and the Two Mintue silence, which set a wonderful tone for the highly rememberable day. Used the Land Train to fully judge the large site and the wonderful, incredible sculptured memorials to every element of our armed forces allies and ancillary services, who sacrificed their lives for peace and the good of us all.The staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to maintain this most beautiful living memorial for further generations to come. I would love to be young enough to visit in fifty years to see how fabulous the grounds develop.Well done.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Quickly popped in whilst visiting family in the local area. I have visited on a number of occasions and absolutely love this place. What a perfect time of year to visit too, everything is in full bloom and the amazing g sunshine just made it all look perfect. Wanted to visit some particular memorials including the Green Jacket Memorial and the Masonic Memorial.
Free entry which is fantastic but make sure you give a good donation for your memorial crosses or candle as they rely on donations. It’s well worth it.
The cafe offer some amazing cakes too so do try! 😀
Free entry which is fantastic but make sure you give a good donation for your memorial crosses or candle as they rely on donations. It’s well worth it.
The cafe offer some amazing cakes too so do try! 😀
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
An excellent opportunity to see what this country stands for. So many memorials to so many amazing societies, charities and communities as well as for the Armed Forces that have served and still serve. We visited to see the newly established Parachute Regiment memorial and were not disappointed. Absolutely breathtaking and most fitting. Beautifully landscaped grounds with excellent accessibility for the majority of people including less abled and disabled. First class cafe and restaurant with reasonable prices and very good service from a very friendly staff. We booked the 'buggy ride' and our guide was full of information that I don't think we would have had from the 'land train' or by simply reading the guidebook (which I would also recommend visitors buying ... lots of pictures, maps and information). We visited on the hottest day of the year so far but the shade of the hundreds of trees and the air-conditioned interiors made it bearable. The availability of mobility scooters/wheelchairs is a wonderful addition to customer satisfaction. I think a cover charge of £5 gave you access to the mobility scooters for the duration of your visit. All the staff - the majority of whom appeared to be volunteers, were pleasant, well informed and very eager to help in whatever way they could. Excellent parking (£3 for the day). All in all a visit I would recommend to anyone of any age. We intend to return in the Autumn to see the changing of the colour of the trees.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited the arboretum due to being in Stafford for the weekend. The staff on reception were very helpful. We hired the audio guides and did the additional exhibition, Landscapes of Life. Excellent and very informative.
We had an enjoyable day out, lots to see and take in, we didn't get round it all in one visit but would definitely return. I would recommend everyone pay a visit once in their lifetime. Very poignant.
We had an enjoyable day out, lots to see and take in, we didn't get round it all in one visit but would definitely return. I would recommend everyone pay a visit once in their lifetime. Very poignant.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I feel it is definately worth planning, especially if you have a special memorial to see.
The volunteers a great, this is my second visit, I brought my Mum and Husband this time. I feel everyone shoud visit to, there is so much to see, it covers all so many topics and items are continually being added. The facilities ar wonderful.
The volunteers a great, this is my second visit, I brought my Mum and Husband this time. I feel everyone shoud visit to, there is so much to see, it covers all so many topics and items are continually being added. The facilities ar wonderful.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
An excellent day on Wed 20 Jun. Well organised and attentive staff liooked after a large group of veterans and their families who were unveiling a statue to commemorate the African soldiers who served in the King’s African Rifles and East African Forces in WW1, WW2, Kenya and Malaya post war. Food and drink were plentiful and excellent quality. The NMA is a jewel and the visitor’s centre is much improved since recent refurbishments which continue.
Excellent job, well done!
Excellent job, well done!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
