For anyone who has or had a relative who served in conflicts from the Great War up until the present day this is a must visit. Equally if you've no association at all with the services, there's something to engage and make you reflect on life and sacrifice here. Whether it's the walk along the tree lined path to commemorate Police Officers killed, or the Children's woodland with carved characters from 'The Wind in the Willows' where babies and children who have died are remembered. If you can, do attend the Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness at about 10:45 for a short talk as to why we hold a 'Two minute silence' and then at 11am join with others to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Afterwards a guide will give you a 10 minute introduction as to how and why the NMA came into being and why it's located in a former quarry in the middle of the country.
The site is still continuing to grow and a new visitor's centre is about to be built as numbers are approaching nearly half a million every year.
There is no entrance charge, only a £3 car park fee, and all the guides are volunteers. Many come every weekend to pass on their enthusiasm about this unique site and to remind us all that 'we will remember them'.

Attended the commemoration service 70th Anniversary of VJ Day, in the beautiful landscape gardens of the arboretum. The service was beautiful and the grounds are full of over 300 memorials. It is free entry (car park charge) and there is a land train with commentary for those wanting to see the immense gardens in this way.
There are cafe and restaurant facilities and picnic areas.
It is a very peaceful tranquil place a fitting tribute. The Far East Prisoners of War Memorial Building houses an exhibition there is also a piece of the Burma Railway track. An emotional and educational day set in beautiful surroundings.

We were lucky with the weather on our visit. A nice sunny, but a bit too warm, day. Easy to find. Parking OK in the big car-park. Helpful staff at the entrance but once you buy your ticket and enter the grounds "staff.. helpful or not" are very thin on the ground. You can buy a thick booklet that will give details but we didn't as it was a pretty big booklet. Didn't want to lug that around all day. You can take a train tour (with commentary) around the grounds if you wish but at £5 per person I think its a tad expensive. And if you take the "train" it's not a hop-off hop-on service so you cannot "hop-off" and linger in a specific area if you want to take photo's etc and then "hop-on" the next train. The "centrepiece" memorial has to be the one on the hill. There are a few good statues/memorial (Polish armed forces, para's, shot-at-dawn, Basra wall, to name a few... but overall it wasn't as thought provoking as I hoped/expected. I guess if you have a direct family link to a specific memorial it is somewhat more poignant. Food wise. Best advice is take your own. It's an expensive place to eat.. On the plus side there is an abundance of seats/benches for weary legs to rest on. Another slight negative is that the few area with flowers/roses could do with a bit of TLC.

Have visited a couple of times now . Beautiful landscapes with roses and trees everywhere and something new to discover ,. Plenty of places to stop and sit and contemplate . The memorials range from grand impressive structures to individual plaques . Really thought Provoking and emotional. The place is somewhere everybody should visit .. Not only memorials for the forces , but emergency services , stillborns , and lots more . I happened to be by one of the most recent conflicts memorials when 5 soldiers In full uniform appeared .. To pay respects to a lost colleague .., very very emotional moment , I quietly walked away to leave them with their thoughts .
I shall continue to visit and support this venture and everybody should do the same .
Excellent on site facilities with a superb cafe serving hearty home cooked food and cake . Please visit .

Peaceful. A place to think whether you have a few minutes or a whole day. Always evolving. and never the same place twice.

A lovely day out, the staff were all very knowledgeable and helpful. A very moving and humbling experience, will visit again.

regardless of what you think about military intervention you should visit this place
its a wonderful place to pay your respects for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

My wife and I decided to visit Lichfield for the day. I consulted TripAdvisor before we set off and spotted the National Memorial Arboretum in top slot under 'Things to Do'. So, out of a small sense of curiosity we headed here first before seeing the sights of Lichfield.

What a great find and I am stunned that we never knew this place existed before. You could quite easily spend the whole day here especially if you timed it for when they have some special event on. I was heartened to see a fair amount of youngsters wandering around. This is the kind of stuff that should never be forgotten and this Memorial Arborutum goes a long way to ensuring that is the case.

The large 150 acre site is made up of numerous gardens of remembrance with lots of trees planted to commemorate different events or people. Obviously the majority of the memorials are for the armed forces but there were others there too, such as for the Police. Those countries that served for Britain throughout the numerous wars were also well represented. We hopped on the little train that took you around the key memorials on the site which had a running commentary in English which I found informative, interesting and very touching at times. Well worth the 5 UK Pounds each for a 45 minute trip. At the rear of the site is the River Tame and it looked a lovely setting to sit and watch the world go by and spot a bit of wildlife.

The National Memorial Arboretum is situated some 6.5 miles north east of Lichfield, 9 miles south west of Burton upon Trent. It is convenient for both the M1 and M6 motorways. For those driving and letting their Sat Nav (GPS) take the strain, then plug in a Post Code of DE13 7AR and that should get you there ok. The X13 bus service between Burton and Tamworth stops here. This is a 2 hourly service with the last bus leaving at 14.24pm heading back to Burton. The site is LARGE and you could be in for a lot of walking. If that is a problem, a small tourist train (towed by a small tractor) or golf buggy's can take you round for a small fee.

Before writing this review I had a quick look to see what those people who rated this Memorial site as one or two stars were complaining about. How anyone can moan about a 3 UK Pounds Parking fee for everyone but with free admission is surprising to say the least. That is the cost of one and a half coffee's. The place is run by a charity and it costs 4000 UK Pounds per day to maintain the site so a small contribution from everyone visiting (by car) is not unreasonable. As for it not being that dog friendly, when we hopped off the train at the end of our tour we had to avoid a little mound of dog pooh, so perhaps there are reasons why dogs are kept to certain areas. Just a thought.

I shall be recommending this place to others and it is Five Stars from us. Fantastic, beautiful, touching and essential UK history to be preserved and remembered forever.

I have brought visitors here several times and it is constantly changing as more memorial sections are completed. There cannot be many people who haven't lost a family member, even in the past, who couldn't relate to this very special place. The setting is very serene and each season makes it look different. As my family spent three and a half years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, the far east section was of particular interest. My mother told us of the atrocities they had suffered and this is well presented albeit hard to comprehend. It made me realise what a strong woman my grandmother was to have protected her children under these conditions. Alas my grandfather lost his life in there. The volunteers do a sterling job and are willing to help anyone who has questions to ask. I had the pleasure of hearing the military bands there.There is a cafe on site which offers a wide range of refreshments and an excellent gift shop. I would urge everyone to pay at least one visit to this wonderful memorial to our brave service men and women.

It's something of a work in progress and not really meant to be an attraction of course. For those with a particular reason to visit. its space and tranquility must help.

We happened to be staying close to the memorial and my dad wanted to check this out. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a pleasant surprise.
It's set in a huge area which is ever increasing with neatly tended lawns, trees and monuments dotted around. It's tranquil and will allow people to reflect and pay their respects.
The central memorial was stunning. It was really helpful that a member of staff is there to explain it.
Well worth visiting if you are nearby.

Awesome, I agree with other reviews we should all visit at least once in our lives to give thanks to those fallen heroes, and also the people who work there.
It was our first time and I found out thing's about my father ship's during WW2.
The memorial wall's, the peace surrounding everywhere and sadly the area for those Shot at Dawn, I am not ashamed to say a 67 yr old man wept.
Please go.

The N.M.A. is an excellent place to visit.There is so much to see and to take in.There is only a parking fee on £3.00 to enter this remarkable Arboretum.You can reach it from the A38 3miles north of Lichfield or 10 miles south of Burton on Trent.

A first time visit yesterday, and as I was a first time visitor, this is a longish review.

Our family went to the National Memorial Arboretum yesterday, to remember a relative who died on that date a number of years earlier.

While the focus (and most of the publicity) tends to be on military memories, the site also covers other "memories" such as those who died in car accidents, and also children who were stillborn or died young.

It is a huge site (150 acres) the site of an old quarry (they are still quarrying nearby) and the River Tame flows alongside the site. There are now over 50,000 trees on site, plus lots of gardens and flowers and wild flower areas, so it is a lovely place to visit and walk around.

It is also of course very moving. There are huge sites for the main military (RAF, Army, Navy) as well as people who did the convoys or in the SAS and so on. Also for particular areas of war such as Japan, or Burma in WW2.

But there are also many sites remembering individual events or battles such as the Dieppe Raid in WW2, the Cockleshell heroes also in WW2, or more recently events in Iraq. Many of the displays feature a brief history of the battle or war so you can learn the background to an individual event.

There are also memorials for those who served in the Police, Fire Service, GPO (telecommunications during the war), Women's Land Army, also people in prisoner of war camps, or those that did "home runs" from camps, those who died in the Falklands war, even those who died in the twin towers.

There is even a memorial to the football match that happened around Christmas time during WW1. A statue of two huge "hands" joined together, shaking hands, showing friendship.

They also do various talks about different wars, and have re-enactment weekends and so on.

We were there from 11am till we got thrown out at 5pm and we only saw about half of it, and even then only parts of it briefly. One of the guides said you really need about 3 days to see it all.

There is a land train that takes you round the site (for a fee) that lasts about 50 minutes (with commentary). There are also "buggy" trips that take about 6 people with a driver/tour guide. You can also hire your own mobility scooter if you wish.

There is an excellent restaurants/café, a fine gift shop, and a nice outdoor seating area if you wish to eat or drink outside, or eat your own food.

It is currently free to get in, which must make it one of the bargains of the year, though they do ask for donations as it costs a lot to run it. Parking is only £3 for the day.

We found all the guides and helpers very willing to talk about the things to see or the history of the site, and also very enthusiastic. A pat on the back to all of them.

Because it is a large site it can be very tiring walking round, and could of course be difficult for those with a disability or the elderly, though as I said, you can hire buggies.

It is a very moving site, so you may come away a little drained, but it is also a beautiful site with so many trees and flowers and wildlife.

But overall a stunning place to visit and I cant praise it enough. Well done to all those involved in creating and running the site.

Only stopped for a coffee and a scone but all food was well laid out and the staff helpful (we had issues with the coffe machine but a guy quickly came and sorted it out for us). Clean and welcoming and not too over priced.

Visited on Sunday 9th August and just missed the 11:00 service in the chapel. However there is so much to see and visit that this didn't mar our time here The site is truly marvellous, well designed and set out. You can take a land train ride or a buggy ride with a guide round the site (at a cost) which looked to be quite popular however we decided to walk round on our own. While we had not experiemnced the personal loss of any of our loved ones we were very truly moved by all the tributes to the brave men and women who have given their lives for their country. The large memorial on the hill with the beautiful sculptures was truly awe inspiring. The sentiment read on the small gap left on the right hand memorial for the sun to shine through on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month brought us to tears. There is so much to see. So many different facets of the armed forces and civilian organisations have been recognised and had tributes paid to them. Such a marvellous variety of trees on display and, although quite busy, one felt that there was enough space for an individual to seek solitude and peace. All this for free entry although one is encouraged to leave a donation (which we were only too happy to do). There is a small charge for the carpark but that is fine. We will be going back again as there is so much to see and absorb and we would recommend that everyone, at some time in their life, goes along and says thank you to all those who are commemorated and who have given up their lives for the rest of us.

What a marvelous place it is, everyone should visit at least once in their lives. Me?
I could go time and again. The staff and volunteers are very polite and knowledgable.
The 11am Service had to be relaid outside as the building, there were a lot of people wishing to partake of the service. I was a little disappointed that the service was so short.
Apart from that it was a very thought provoking days experience. I ran out of time(yet again) and will return to view the Burma Cross and the Burma Railway exhibition. Could the Trefoil part of the site be removed as this gives a very poor portrayal of what Trefoil is about. I know they have given up the site but in the meantime please just find something better. Thank You. Trefoil member.

It was a wonderful day out, the gardens and monuments are stunning. Highly recommended, and free entry too (except parking, which goes into improving and maintaining this beautiful place). We indulged in a lovely lunch in the café, with scones and tea. Well worth visiting.

The expanse of the site is awesome and it would be easy to spend a full day visiting. We arrived at 11 and left at 5 and did not see everything on the site. Very emotional. The memorials are beautiful as are the memorial gardens. The tranquility is welcoming. The grounds and memorials are all well kept. Taking the time to pay respect to all across military and civilian in the tranquil settings is special.

Tours for those less mobile on land trains is an added option if need be.

On site tea room and restaurant add to the visit. The RBL shop is well stocked.

There is a small charge for car parking and ample space.

A truly incredible place. We allocated a few hours but only saw about 1/2 of the park. Allow a full day and bring comfortable shoes as to see the whole park, you'll need to walk a long way (although there are facilities for older or less able walkers).

This is a truly beautiful site to visit if a little overwhelming. The site as well as housing many varieties of trees and flowers is also host to memorials of all the armed forces regiments with new ones being added all the time. It's a big site but there are buggy tours or a mini train tour you can book to save the legs but well worth wandering to get the best. The information leaflets are good quality. There is a great shop and numerous refreshment places, the profits of which all go back to supporting the work at the arboretum. This is well worth visiting, no entrance fee, £3 car parking fee and easy to spend a few hour meandering the memorials.

Took my 15 year old daughter and we could believe the amount of memrials and stories that are held within the whole area.

An amazing place to reflect and believe me it is a symbol to peace nothing else.

I would highly reccommend everyone to visit here.

Free entry but please leave a donation the overflow car park works on an honesty box and every penny counts for the good causes.

Just happened to see this site in some tourist information booklets and decided to go and have a look as we were nearby. So glad we did. The site is immaculate and crammed with memorials to a huge variety of our and foreign militaries and services. A very thought provoking and awe inspiring place. Everyone should visit such sites, as in our busy lives we don't appreciate the sacrifice so many have given so that we can enjoy our freedoms. Can't recommend this place highly enough, there just aren't words to do it justice.

Beautiful, peaceful gardens so fitting to remember those lost in conflict. Lots to see and interesting to learn the history behind the memorials. Really good land train with commentary available. Buggy and wheelchair accessible. Tea shop and gift shop on site but close to other local pubs and restaurants. Well worth a visit.

I was really looking forward to taking my wife and youngest and to pay our respects. There is no doubt it has taken years to plan and make visits welcoming. I wanted to see the Royal engineers monument which was okay, the Army Apprentices monument which was really good. I felt let down with the Normandy monument, small and in a forgotten part of the area also the Police monument to the fallen was very poor. Perhaps I was expecting more, all I would say is go and visit what interests you, this is a good idea as its a vast site not very signposted and laid out.