We visited here whilst staying in Lichfield.
We have no family connection with any of the memorials but walking around with the brilliant guide
we were very moved by the sacrifices that so many had made to keep our country free.
It's a brilliant place just to wander round and take in the
history of our country. The main wall with the names of the thousands who had died since the end of the last war was very sobering and will live in our memory for ever. We owe those brave people so much.
God Bless Them

Beautiful, thought-provoking place which everyone should visit at least once although there is a lot to take in on one visit.

I am a New Zealander who served five years in South East Asia in the 60s and 70s as part of Far East Air Force (FEAF).. The outstanding memorials to FEAF and Malaya and Borneo veterans brought back many memories. Our Kiwi Squadron - 41 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force - served in Singapore and Malaya from 1955 to 1977. I recommend the narrated land train tour of the grounds to get the feel of the arboretum and then shanks pony to see specific items of interest. The highlight of our tour was a visit to the magnificent central Armed Forces Memorial which commemorates those who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorism from the end of the Second World War to the present day.

If you are down in the dumps, feeling sorry for yourself, need some inspiration then get yourself to the magnificent National Memorial Arboretum Lichfield, it is set in a beautiful park with ample space to wander at your leisure and to marvel at the fantastic effort that has gone into making your visit an emotional experience. So much has been given by so many in order that mortals like us remain "Free". At the end of your visit I feel sure that you will have a different view on the meaning of life and of those around you. Next time I become uptight or moan about my lot I will think of my visit and just realise how lucky I am, I will someday return.

This is an excellent place to go to remember those who gave their lives. The grounds are extensive and beautifully landscaped. There are memorials to all sorts of services and people. The "shot at dawn" memorial is particularly powerful with wooden posts representing those killed for cowardice . We have a better understanding today of why they may have behaved as they did so it is good that they have been pardoned and recognised. On a final note there is a playground for kids and plenty of picnic space. It rained the day we went but I can recommend the cafe - delicious food.

This is a place to visit on a fine day with little wind if you can. This is a place all nationalities and faiths should visit to see the thousands of service personel killed in war and think of making peace with each other. The truly beautiful sculptures set across the acres commemorating those fallen will remain with me for ever. The 11am ceremony is moving and to stand alongside both veterans present day serving officers is humbling. Peace is needed.

Recognise the sacrifices others have made for our freedoms. Spectacular to walk through the substantial grounds observing the various different memorials, and so nice to see all alongside each other

Great place for history. So many interesting things to see. Took an 11 year old, great for a school project

We visited this tranquil place on a midweek afternoon. There were plenty of visitors but as the area is vast, we walked and read the memorials undisturbed. The atmosphere really is beautifully respectful.
The majority of the memorials is dedicated to military regiments or associations and there is an area for civilian individuals remembered by families. We read plaques fixed to the sapling trees which filled us with tears.
A central memorial at the top steps is for those servicemen and women who had been killed in active service since 1945. The park is extremely well equipped with transport methods (scooters, train, etc) to aid less mobile individuals and very helpful and knowledgeable volunteers.
Some of the memorials are artistically clever. The naval memorial is a set of tall blue glass panels with dashes of red to signify bloodshed. At some point in the day, sunlight through the slits of glass creates a reflection on the ground in the shape of a battleship.
One area in the shaded woodland is dedicated to those ‘Shot at Dawn’. Dozens of high single wooden posts are labelled with names often with ‘age unknown’.
We spent two and a half hours which was plenty of time to appreciate a large part of the arboretum and left us with more to see on a further visit.

Despite the cold wind and rain showers this was a very, very special day. The unveiling of the statue to commemorate all the ladies who served their country, without recognition, was memorable. Land 'Girls' aged up to 104 had travelled from far and wide to see the unveiling , by the Countess of Wessex, and were visibly moved by the experience. In the marquee, after the event, the Countess spent quality time with them finding out about their experiences. She was charm itself. The Arboretum is also home to memorials to the Bevan Boys and also has the names of everyone who perished in the wars engraved on a huge hilltop memorial. We had no time to see the other memorials. Well worth a visit for a small car parking fee. A great day out.

The day we went it was horribly cold and windy but there were dozens of land girls out in the weather to inaugurate the monument to their courage in the second world war. The average age must have been over 80 but they had a lovely day. So did we.
The place is a magnificent testament to the fallen and the regard they are held in the nations heart. So very well presented, designed and maintained. The staff at all points was wonderfully helpful and happy. The level of customer care could be a model for many a business!
A great day at a fantastic place. Each citizen of this country should go there at least once. I only wish that the UK government would pay for all development and running costs. This is an expense we should all share willingly.

The Ambulance Service Memorial was, until recently, situated near to the exit and car park. It was very difficult to locate. Due to the expansion of the car park, it was necessary to relocate the memorial. It is now in a much more suitable and easily accessible site.
On September 18th, 2014, a ceremony was held to whereby there was a Service of Re-Dedication, which was attended by Ambulance Services across the country, including Scotland and the Isle of Wight

I've visited this place a couple of times and i think it's a lovely place to walk around and marvel and what people have actually done for us as a country and how they will not be forgotten. Some very lavish structures and very creative and effective areas. The only downside is there should be more to appeal to younger generations.

Having wanted to visit for some time my wife and I made the effort last week. It was a lovely day for a drive so off we went. It isn't far from us, about 40 mins but on the country roads a lovely drive. We didn't really know what to expect but were amazed at what we found. The site is enormous approximately 300 acres with memorials for all branches of the forces and the support services placed throughout the area. The main memorial has all the names carved in stone and to our amazement is right up to date. One rather disturbing note is that there is nearly as much area uncarved as there is already carved!

The arboretum is in a constant state of flux and so provides a passionate experience on each and every occasion. It would be disrespectful to treat the venue as a tourist attraction but there is a remarkable blend of interest and amazed bewilderment around each and every corner that maintains your attention and interest. From the introductory talk at the start of my visit in the Chapel to the dedicated culmination of each benefactors particular memorial, the place is a tribute to those people who deserve our respect, in some instances our sympathy but most of all our thanks!. It is not just an armed forces memorial but a thanksgiving to those around us in everyday life. Those that we often take for granted and never see until we need them.

It's a few years since we last visited the Arboretum, so it was pleasing to see that many of the trees are becoming established.
Make sure that you arrive in time for the 11.00am Introduction which takes place in the chapel. it begins with the "Last Post" and 2 minutes silence which is a fitting tribute to the heroes of our country who are commemorated here.
The best way to appreciate the Arboretum is to wander around with no particular plan and view the many monuments that have been placed amongst the trees. However, do make sure you visit the "Shot at Dawn" memorial (recognising the men shot for "cowardice" in WW1), it stays in the memory long after you returned home.

As a service family through the generations, and my husband having been a RN officer for 24 years, during which having served in the 1982 Falklands conflict aboard HMS Antrim, this was a thought provoking, poignant visit. The memorial is tastefully designed and maintained, and proud to be British.

I didn't know really what to expect from this place, but I found it poignant and humbling.
A must, is the land train that takes in most of the park and has very informative dialogue all the way round and the guy that runs it is hilarious.
Truly brilliant place

What a lovely setting for our war heroes , it's a stark reminder of what those brave men and women sacrificed. You could easily spend a day looking round, there are lots of different things to see. Also how nice to see school children being shown a bit of history.
We didn't have anyone that we know of who would have been in any of the conflicts, but for people who have lost loved ones I'm sure it would be a very moving experience..
There is a nice restaurant with a good variety of food the prices are very reasonable.
Parking is £3 for the day.
It's a shame they have to find through donations £4000 a day to keep it a free admission , surly this should be funded by our government , they give millions away to other countries when they should be supporting this project,

Everyone should visit this national monument at least once, a place to remember those who gave their lives in service for their country. Beautiful parklands with so many things to see, thought provoking and wonderful.

Wow. That was my reaction when we got there. I hadn't heard of it before but my friend had been so we went. I wasn't expecting the sheer size of the place or to be so over-awed by the fantastic memorials themselves. There is one main memorial wall (the one that you can see in the pic commemorating all lives lost since the end of WW2) but all around are monuments and tree plantings to different regiments and other associations. They vary in size, shape, design and stories and the way to get the most information about them is to pay £5 for the train, which runs half-hourly, as there is a running commentary on it made by the BBC about the memorials that it visits - it's well worth it.That also gives you an idea of the size of the park. Entry to the arboretum is free (with a suggested donation of £5) and the staff are mostly well-informed volunteers. The paths are wide and straight and we saw several wheelchair users there. We also saw people of all ages, some in uniform, visiting their memorials which was very touching. There is one place called Last Post in which a post has been planted for each soldier shot by firing squads in WW1 for cowardice or desertion. This was before shell shock was recognised and the youngest one is just 17 years old - it's incredibly moving. There is an on-site church in which they hold two services a day, both with a two-minute silence in remembrance. It really brings home the sacrifices that have been made for us, and it was heartening to see people of all ages (including air force/army/navy cadets) visiting and being so respectful of the place and what it represents. There is a cafe on site and you can take dogs but only on the perimeter (not to the memorials themselves) on a short walk. Parking is £3 per car but all monies goes to supporting the charity. There is also a well-stocked gift shop. I'm definitely going back as it was too big to see everything in one day. What I would say is they need to advertise more. I visit lots of military airshows and I've never seen leaflets or any information about this arboretum and a straw poll of my friends shows the same. Considering it's of national importance, it needs a plug. Tell all your friends.

Decided to visit the arboretum as we were on holiday and my other half has family who served in the armed forces and he wanted to try and find the memorials for their regiments. I wasn't prepared for how emotional our visit would be. It truly is a beautiful and peaceful place and reading all the messages and plaques brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. The WW1 memorial for those that were shot at dawn as deserters was particularly poignant especially when you read the ages of those involved.
Happily we managed to find the memorials we had hoped to thanks to some help from one of the friendly volunteers. This is a lovely place to visit and will be even better once the trees have matured...a truly humbling experience that made me thankful to those who have given their lives so that I can live mine.

An amazing area honouring the many people who have given their lives,mainly in areas of conflict throughout the world.
A wonderful place to bring older children in order to reflect on the sacrifices made on their behalf.
Facilities are good. A nice restaurant provides good quality food at reasonable prices.
Entry is free ( A donation is suggested ) offering good value for money.
An excellent day out for families,those interested in architecture, horticulture and of course it's primary purpose to reflect on the sacrifice made over many years in order that we can enjoy the freedom we enjoy today.

We stopped on our way south as this is no great distance from the M6 toll road. Thank goodness we did. This is an amazing place and a great credit to the designers. The main war memorial was huge and lists all the names of military who have lost their lives in wars since 1945 up until last year. Unfortunately wars will go on and there is a large area for new names - this is very thought provoking and there are two massive bronzes of military activity. the one which particularly made us think was the wounded soldier on a stretcher being carried by his mates. There are so many other memorials we did not have time to visit so we shall go back next time we travel north. Best visited on a fine day. There are buggy and land train tours so save your legs!

This place is amazing. There is a train which takes you around the grounds with an interesting commentary and was the best £5 I've spent at a place of interest. Not really a place for small children.