Magnificent and meaningful

I recently visited the National Memorial Arboretum for a Remembrance Service hosted by the Parachute Regiment. The staff met us at the entrance and were very helpful and friendly. Our service was being held at the Airborne monument and is situated some way from the main building, the staff explained that a shuttle buggy would be available to those unable to walk the distance. The grounds are kept immaculate with on going memorials being created all the time.
There are 150 acres to explore and appreciate.
There is a good restaurant serving everything from breakfast, snacks and meals to scones and hot drinks. There is a gift shop run by the British Legion.
Entry is free but car parking is £3.00 per day. Donations are welcomed towards the maintenance .
Check out their website for special events throughout the year.
There is so much to see and you can always take a picnic if you prefer.

Very moving. You don't have to have a military background to appreciate what so many people did to give us freedom. I would recommend a visit by anyone.

A lot to see and you need all day to appreciate the history and the memories and to pay your respects
Good provision for toilets and restaurants from snacks to full meals
The site has got better and better as the years pass and more memorials are put in, I live locally and have visited a number of times with visitors to my home and they are always impressed by the site

Didn't know what to expect. Much larger than we anticipated and thankful for the little train to take us around the large site, complete with commentary. The place is lovely and well tended with lots of helpful volunteers. You are politely asked to pay to park and help contribute to the upkeep. This we did gladly, but we were disappointed to see a number of visitors who obviously avoided making any contribution. If they wish to spend time there, using toilet facilities and benches to eat the picnics they brought with them, the least they should do is give a donation. Thanks to all who look after this lovely place.

I would highly recommend a visit here. The place is very well maintained and very moving. The self service cafe is great but we had booked a 3 course Sunday lunch which was served in a separate restaurant. The staff were amazing! Very professional and friendly. We got better service than in many good restaurants . The food was also delicious and well presented.

I just love this place , so peaceful and very moving . We particularly came to view the recent addition of the Camp Bastion memorial . Nice to see how they've encouraged wildlife along the river too. Lovely grounds and well maintained .

Amazing place. Huge and so well laid out. Not at all from a service background it is still marvellous to wander amongst the tremendous artwork and planting. Beautifully done and such a contrast to the carnage that the memorial sadly marks. I was particularly struck by the range of memorials including the 'shot at dawn' area. Flowers, trees, bird life and water, all beautifully tended. Worth a visit and if you have time worth a stop for a while to appreciate what you have.

I simply could not fault the organisation, the location or the facilities when we went. I recommend the short train ride around the site to get an overview of what is on site before making your own way to the areas that interest you.

The layout is thoughtful and the ambience quiet and reflective with lots of greenery, birds and, of course, a staggering number of memorials of all sorts.

There were people of all ages and nationalities and it is my view that everyone in the country should visit this location at some time in their lives.

The Arboretum is a splendid memorial so peaceful and moving.
It was lovely to see visitors from such various age groups there, Veterans, Service personnel, school children and students.
The train ride around the Arboretum was very informative and detailed about the memorials on display
The Shot at Dawn memorial we found be so specially moving, reading the names and ages of the 306 soldiers on the posts was a privilege and so very sad
So many young men blindfolded and executed.

This is a perfect memorial to our fallen heroes from many conflicts and for those non military personnel who gave so much, it's quiet and peaceful and respectful place, it's a place that makes you think about love and loss and also pride rather than for a few minutes every November. Whilst there I was able to see my cousins name on the wall from the Falklands conflict and my sons friend on the Bastion memorial both very young men whose names will always be remembered nationally. There was the dedication of the new RAF memorial with a fly past by a spitfire which tipped its wing as it passed the memorial a beautiful sight. I think it's shameful that some reviewers give a poor review because they dont agree to pay £3 to park their car, aren't allowed to take their dogs up to the memorials and disabled people that they can't take their own mobility scooters in, this is a national memorial not a theme park, I for one don't want to be run into by a mobility scooter, have to watch where I walked because of irresponsible dog owners, I think it's a brave move to make those decisions but the right one for everyone to enjoy the peace and beauty of the site. Some complained the cafe prices were expensive and I thought it was incredibly cheap, clean and that the volunteers do an excellent job and obviously have to be firm with some visitors who think they have more rights than everyone else if they have a dog or disability!

A thought provoking experience. It was a beautiful summer day when we visited. We didn't know what to expect as had only seen short clips on television. But we were overcome by the atmosphere of peace and calm. The individual memorial gardens are inspired, some complex and others quite simplistic. The most poignant in our view is The Shot at Dawn memorial. How much wiser we are now. It was the pefect time of year to see the Britsh Legion Poppy Field.

It is an amazing place paying tribute to all the services you could ever imagine. Its moving and thought provoking without being over the top to the point where you or the kids are not enjoying it. Its also a really nice walk to go around the perimeter and stop off at the various memorials. I will definitely go again, highly recommended.

We were treated like VIP's from the time we arrived to the time we left many hours later as we had a disabled lady with us, but feel that we would have been treated just the same had she not been there.

We attended the Service for the Dedication of the Camp Bastion Cross as my partner lost her son in Afghanistan in 2007 and had the opportunity to look around the memorial gardens. Well worth a visit and helps support the British Legion. Lots of history and a great place to reflect and remember various combats given the anniversary of World War One 1914-18 and recently VE Day celebrations its profile as a national memorial has risen.

I hadn't researched this place so was totally surprised at the size of it. We came to make a quick visit to one particular section thinking this was the main attraction.
Fortunately we used the internal train for the hour guided tour rather than just wander aimlessly. This was very informative and worth the £5 each.
Yes there are paper guides but didn't invest in this.
Was surprised by the honesty box for the £3 car park fee and were at first frustrated by no enterance fee but a request for a minimum £5 per person enterance fee as a donation! Clever ploy as gift aided more!
Be warned there's a huge space to walk round and see all the varying memorial areas.
Cafe area was nice with plenty of outside seats and the scones were very tasty.
Our only real problem was finding the carpark enterance which was labeled eventually as overspill, a couple of hundred yards past the main enterance and on opposite side.
Thought we would be maximum of an hour were more like 3 and could have spent longer.

Wonderful place to visit, but I was very disappointed that most of the areas are out of bounds to people with dogs. There is a dog walking route, difficult to follow on the map, but this avoids just about all the points of interest. And taking the "train" is banned too. The carpark is unshaded so on a warm day, today!, one can't leave an animal in a car either. I was pursued and told off for straying from "the route" in order to take a photo of a memorial of significant family interest. Be warned. Of course guide dogs are permitted. Rec time-3hrs +- but only if you are dog free.

This visit to the Arboretum made me feel proud and humble, It honours all who paid the ultermate price for freedom and commemerates all the organisations who were involve.A beautiful settings,The tram around the site enabled us to see most of the memorials.We had a super lunch in a private room. The service was friendly.We will certainly re-visit , there is much more for us to see. (We were part of a coach party)

This should have been a peaceful and reflective afternoon. Spoiled by able people boldly parking in the disabled spots and then stalking through ignoring parking fees or even an entry donation.

The park itself is good and well worth seeing, perhaps not two days before a new Memorial was due to open! We had builders and machinery all around us which was off putting.

We went here on a damp Saturday afternoon and we were very impressed by the knowledgeable volunteers who were more than helpful. It is well worth a visit and will fill you with great national pride and gratitude to all the brave people who have made the ultimate sacrifice. A humbling experience.

We visited here today and found it breathtaking, thought provoking and inspirational. The arboretum is for everyone of all ages and pertinent to every generation. It is welcoming, well designed and provides visitors with the choice of a formal tour, a long walk around the exhibits or just simply quiet contemplation. Seeing ex and currently serving service men and women attending heightened the pride we felt. Visiting at the weekend is very busy as one might expect, however parking facilities are excellent and provision for individuals with disability or limited mobility excellent. It is easy to find with excellent sign posting and a very thoughtful drop off zone for disabled visitors.

There are not many visitor experiences that leave one totally overwhelmed by what it represents and how other visitors are absorbed during their visit, as the NMA. Children mingled with bemedalled war veterans as they strolled through memorial locations or stood silently before remembrance plaques.

My wife and I visited as part of a forces' veterans' group on Sunday. It meant an early start because it was a two hour drive and we wanted to arrive about 10 am, knowing that we had much to see. We were all from different branches of the forces and, naturally, we wished to include our own memorials during the visit.

Our arrival was greeted pleasantly by yellow-shirted volunteers, who explained the outline of an itinerary. We were all hankering for one of the NMA's famous full English breakfasts. So, passing through reception with free entry, some of us purchased comprehensive guide books before entering the restaurant. None was disappointed by the huge breakfast that could be purchased for about a fiver.

Every day at 11 am, the chapel holds a ten-minute remembrance service with a short recorded narrative by war correspondent Kate Aidie, Last Post and a two-minute silence. This, we attended and fifteen-minute informative lecture followed before we were dispatched to explore the 150 acres of beautifully manicured gardens and memorials.

Our experience was heightened by perfect weather, one would have to dress accordingly, as all memorials are in the open air. There are, however, plenty of places under cover, should it rain but, due to its size, you might find yourself a lengthy walk from shelter.

As an attraction, I give it full marks, providing tea stops, a land train, an immense amount of memorials (the immotive Shot at Dawn should not be missed), secluded gardens and places to contemplate. It takes a while to see everything and will probably prompt a return. We gathered at 4 pm to leave having missed a lot however, the thought is to return soon.

We visited here for the first time on what was a chilly day, with a cold wind. Still very busy. We took the landtrain round the site for an introduction - recommended for us pensioners!! Then after a very reasonable and good lunch, we walked to other parts of the site that we wanted to see. The "Shot at Dawn" memorial is a must - do make the effort to see this most poignant of memorials. Do spend time looking at the carvings in the Chapel - the humorous representations of the twelve apostles are just brilliant. We did like the way in which indiviudal memories, military memorials, service memorials, and non-combatant memorials all intermingle, recognising the grief and memories of a wide range of people. Excellent guidebook, and helpful volunteers inside the visitor centre. Only criticism - the car parking signage, and the manners of the car parking attendant leaves a lot to be desired, and nearly marred what was otherwise a perfect day.

Went with a friend who has a colleague listed on the forces wall....just one of the 16,000 names listed. Certainly a very moving experience just standing there reading down the many many names of those who paid the ultimate price.
The NMA has such a wide variety of organisations represented, each with their own memorial, along with individual personal dedications too.
I certainly found it a very moving and thought-provoking experience, and intend to go back again when the new Scout Association memorial is in place too.

What an excellent place, we spent two days visiting and still didn't manage to see everything there was, we will be going back again.
Free admission, what a bonus that is.