Outstanding memorial.

Excellent day facilities excellent, big thanks to management and staff. Cameronian Kenn Robinson.

Wonderful place to come and remember my fallen comrades.

A good half day spent exploring the site, which is well laid out and wheelchair friendly. There is a very good restaurant/coffee shop. The memorials are well spaced out and are not too crowded. For those who do not want to walk the whole 150 acres there is a reasonably priced roadtrain.
The chapel is an absolute must to visit, the wood carvings are just amazing.
The only downside is that some of the signage to the memorials could be clearer and the map which can be purchased us pictorial and a schematic map would be much better.

We only had a shory time to visit and to access the whole site by foot would have taken some time so we took the tours available. The land train tour was £6 and took 45 mins. It showed us a lot of the monuments on the east side of the site and had an interesting onboard recorded commentry. We then took the golf buggy tour. This was £5 and toured the west side of the site with a live commentry. It also weaved off road to look at some of the smaller monuments. Very informative. Lunch of jacket potato was good also. Would recommend a visit and do the tours.

I live local to the National Memorial Arboretum and go there on a regular basis if I need somewhere to relax and reflect. It is such a calming but also moving place to be.

Cannot understand some of the terrible reviews in which I have read lately, 1. I can understand why dogs are not allowed on the main grass areas, some people can be careless when it comes to picking up dog waste and such. 2. People should expect higher prices for food, I know the food in the café is of good quality so if you do not want to pay a little higher price for food then don't moan and bring your own! It's common sense really so do not blame the Arboretum for things you can research yourself beforehand.

The Arboretum itself is going through some major updating and improvements and it looks amazing to see all the works in which are taking place at the moment. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product. The building works did not affect my visit in any way, yes it is loud at times, but what do you expect when people are doing building works. The building works are sectioned off so there is no health and safety concerns at all and there is still a lot of accessible routes around the works so it is not blocking off anything.

I would definitely recommend The National Memorial Arboretum to anyone, especially those with an interest of the military. The memorials are stunning and are so moving, you can see that a lot of thought and hard work has gone into every memorial there. I will definitely carry on been a regular visitor in the future. Parking does cost £3 which is nothing really when there is so much to do and see within the Arboretum and all the money goes back into the Arboretum so it is worth the £3.

Just be ready for the car parking charge £3 per visit

A very thought provoking place. Well done to all concerned.

Fantastic place for all those that gave us so much to be honoured

Amazing

This is a unique and humbling place. It contains both military and civilian memorials. It is s here he site but the volunteers make it easy to navigate. If you are going for the first time book a trip on the land train to get your bearings. Also the 10.45 service in the chapel is worth it.

My wife and I spent over half a day here and came away saddened by the futility of war but impressed and grateful to the countless people of so many nations who had made the ultimate sacrifice in recent war zones.. I had already visited the Arboretum some six years earlier and was struck by the many changes, improvements and additions to this large area that occupies former gravel pits.
Quite well signposted nowadays and with plenty of parking, there seems to be a 'standard' expected parking charge of £3...good value, and needed to help pay for the daily £3,000 upkeep of the Arboretum.
The site covers some 30 hectares and contains around 30,000 trees - many of which looked thirsty after the unrelenting July sunshine and drought. Only the 'lollipop' trees in the central memorial area seem to be watered, and some of the younger trees had clearly given up the struggle to survive. Very sad for an arboretum.
Staff were friendly and welcoming, as were the many volunteers. The shop contained a good selection of maps (£3), leaflets and memorabilia, the canteen/ restaurant was busy and understaffed at the tills and food was in surprisingly short supply prior to the evening concert. The café across the central square was better organised and served good coffee but rather expensive cakes & bottled drinks. There were outside seats and tables.
There is so much to see on this ever-expanding site: we took the land train tour that stuck to the well maintained road paths, lasted around 45 minutes and gave an interesting commentary en route. Strangely there were two places where passengers could get off but were then not allowed back on. The train was well organised and the staff helpful.
After our train trip we explored some far flung sites, following the wooden signpost directions. We regretted not having bought a map as we wandered along the banks of the boundary river, hoping to see some wildlife but even the birds were probably sheltering from the fierce sun. A pretty area that contrasted with the poignant exhibitions nearby.
We enjoyed a picnic lunch and, later that evening, the outdoor concert of patriotic music given by a military band.
A memorable visit to an impressive National Memorial.

We decide it was time to visit the arboretum having seen it develop a over the years and often on local television.

We were asked for a £3 parking fee and given a small ticket. "This is the only fee, park where you can."
We parked and walked the hundred metres to the main building/entrance. It was big enough not to be over bearing and with the supporting pillars along the front it immediately gave the impression of "Ranks" standing on guard.
Inside it was smart clean and wide door and wheelchair friendly no steps and ramps woven into the surrounding were needed. A large open foyer and a gift shop, and a long large café. Passing the café and stepping into the Hero's square it was stunning the sun was beating down. Opposite was another café both with outside seating. It was well thought out the spaces were big but not so far away you could not enjoy them.
We decided to check the visitor map on display and ended up listening to the guide as he explained different areas of the gardens. I thought we will need several visits to see it all. As it turned out it is big but you can see it all in a afternoon depending on your physical abilities/age. There were large "Golf" buggies to transfer people to locations so ask if you need one of those they are free. They also have a "Road Train" but it is £6 per person, it was very popular and very full the guide provides the information as he/she drives around.
We had superb hot sunny weather and I still saw people crying and touching names on the walls, sitting contemplating. There are hundreds of dedicated benches you are asked to sit on them. There are over six thousand trees dedicated to groups or individuals.
The verity of memorials is in its self interesting and you cannot help thinking that every single one had a different story to tell.
As we wander away from the guide "Don't forget to look down." The memorials are cleverly cut/constructed to allow stones to be removed for engraving and then replaced. I walked passed the VC honour winners stones without noticing. So we returned and read every single one for being so careless.
We managed to see all of the gardens and entered the main remembrance walls and found my four friends carved in stone high up out of reach. "There by the grace of God go I."
We wandered away to the Far East Memorial. We have visited Sabah several times and this was an important aspect of our visit. I was completely shocked to find genuine rails with eroded timber baulks from the Far East railways the POW's were forced to build lying in sunny Staffordshire. It was a chilling as Bergan Belsen. I had tears rolling down my face. The memorial building and the outside memorials are in keeping with the wider gardens. It tells the truth but not in a graphic way but it is very upsetting to read.
We ended up at the gift shop and bought several items.
I did not want to visit here. But; I found it very calming and helpful.

How anyone can post poor reviews about this place is beyond me. It's a modest £3 to park and free entry to a very beautiful and thought provoking place. The staff, without exception, are brilliant - welcoming, helpful and very informative. A special mention for Paul Hughes who did the "Shot at Dawn" talk and was excellent. You could spend hours and hours here as there are so many memorials to see. It is very humbling. Top marks too for the cafe and gift shop. One suggestion, though - I do think there could be better signage, including maps. There is a map in the guide book but that costs £7.50 and is heavy to carry around. Maybe the map could be printed and sold for £1 or so?

A great tribute to so many that have fallen for our freedom.

Well worth the visit.

An excellent place to visit, plenty of memorials and the site is developing all the time.<br><br>The arboretum is Dog friendly and has a large dog walking route.<br><br>The staff are very friendly and helpful.<br><br>This is a great place to reflect on the heroic actions of those who sacrificed their lives for others.

It’s four years sine my last (first) visit and we found it a really enjoyable and thought provoking day. The exhibition is an excellent introduction to the history and purpose of memorials - should be a permanent feature! The introduction of the hand set commentary is a great idea but the numbers on the memorials aren’t clear enough so it was difficult to make full use of them. The guides are all very helpful though.
Although the drought has affected the grounds, it does seem a shame that more care has not been taken to keep the area weed free as parts look very unkempt and uncared for though. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend a visit.

Very moving!

Prom what a fantastic evening 😀

So peaceful. Calm. Respectful. A place of reflection. Staff really lovely and kind. Good cafe. A beautiful arboretum.

Excellent

The scale and sheer array of monuments are staggering. We took the land train which gave a fabulous overview of the site, with commentary. I would recommend this option. We then walked around the site and visited many monuments. The "Shot at Dawn" memorial is stunning as is the main monument to remember all service people lost since WW2. My 10 and 12 year olds were completely engrossed.

At the going down of the sun, we will remember them.

As the final rays of light receded from a decommissioned Bofors gun, the scene at the National Memorial Arboretum all but spelt out the Ode of Remembrance.

A serene and contemplative centre of remembrance spread across 150 acres, the Arboretum is both a fixed memorial and a work-in-progress, reflecting the ongoing involvement of British forces personnel who continue to serve across the world.

Spread across 150 acres, the memorials lie within a hushed wooded landscape behind a visitors’ centre with a café, restaurant and Heroes’ Square.

It was my first visit, through I had been given an insight into the ingenuous, ever-changing nature of the memorials with a preview of leading aviation artist David Bent’s exhibition marking 100 years of the RAF, which ran between March and July 2018. David and partner Carole had hosted me at their studio in Swindon to look through the striking, geometric designs ahead of the Tribute 100 display. Visiting for the annual summer prom, we had a chance to stroll among the memorials, including the decommissioned Bofors anti-aircraft gun honouring the Maritime Regiment and Royal Navy Gunners. It’s one of more than 300 memorials that give dignified but powerful form to the past sacrifices which have taken place on a colossal scale.

The last rays of sunshine were also falling on the simmering glass memorial for the Royal Navy and associated services as walked around the grounds.

Made of 13 coloured glass panels to the side of a bowed stone figure, it cast shadows that appeared like tall, Trafalgar-era war ships sailing side-by-side.

At the heart of the site is the elevated Armed Forces Memorial, where more than 16,000 names of the fallen are inscribed on the structure’s stone walls.

Hulking bronze statues give muscular presence to their toils.

Blank panels, to be updated yearly, are one of the most sobering aspects of this quietly imposing tribute overlooking the surrounding countryside.

Below us, the Royal Anglican Regiment band was setting up on stage, ahead of a night of music with a strong World War One centenary theme. It was a reminder that the songs would once have been a light in dark hours for the regiments, comrades and loved ones remembered in the grounds.

What a fantastic place to visit. The arboretum is very well organised clearly signposted£ and very thought provoking.
The attraction is free to visit . You can take part in a train journey around the grounds to view the various monuments for a small cost.
The grounds are accessible to all abilities.
There is a cafe and a coffee shop offering a good choice of food and drink.
You can spend a couple of hours or a whole day looking around.
There is a £3.00 charge for car parking.