We visited this fantastic attraction and it was a great day out quiet and moving. So much to see and a lot to take in. So many names on the walls of the main memorial. We had dinner in the resteraunt and it was very good at an excellent price. Try to visit on a fair day as there is not a lot of cover

Well laid out

A place so quiet, it was good to be able to lose oneself in ones own thoughts. Although there were many vistors there was plenty of space, so it was possible a part of but at the same time be apart from the crowd.

i dislike anything,,but i loved it all....all the thousands of men who died and if it wasnt for them i wouldnt be here today

Large paying car park and easy access from main road, even for people with walking difficulties. The people at the visitors centre were very friendly and gave plenty of advice, re. flooding and what was where. The big white marquee at the bottom of the garden looks a bit out of place and the huge National Memorial, although well styled, overshadows many of the very small plots. However, this place is really worth a day trip, even with the kids. Allow plenty of time to go through the main alley and don't forget to look into the many little gardens to read the plaques. It is all very thought provoking and in many ways very sad, yet also uplifting to see that so many tributes to all kinds of causes remember so many people. At the end of the Arboretum, a most astonishing plot, The Allied Special Forces Garden, wonderfully laid out, maintained lovingly and remembering so much. Plenty of places to sit and reflect or just take in the wonderful nature around the garden. The only thing that would improve it would be additional restrooms in the middle or end of the whole Arboretum, for elderly people, the way back to the visitor centre could be a bit much.

Excellent for Ex and Serving Armed Forces Personnel or families to visit their Units Memorial. There are also other memorials such a sthe Stillborn children memorial that are thought provoking.
Fantastic reasonably priced restaurant on site too.

What a wonderful memorial to so many wonderful people. My husband and I went for the day to pay our respects to a Great Uncle of mine who had died aged just 36 during the War. How lovely it was to see children there who were interested in looking at the memorials and statues and respecting other visitors. The cafe was a welcome pit stop and very clean. The whole day I found to be a very moving experience and look forward to another visit soon.

We went to the national arboretum this week as we had always wanted to go for so long. It was a very humbling experience seeing all the tributes to the fallen. The place itself was spotlessly clean and the food was good in the cafe when you needed to give your feet a rest as there is a lot of walking to be done to see all the memorials.. You can go by a little train if you like for a small charge. It was an eye opening experience which will not be forgotten . As these people died for us. A place to visit definitely .

The National Memorial Arboretum was an amazing place to visit even on a chilly February day when the area was affected by recent floods. This was our first visit and we were impressed by the tranquillity even though there were plenty of people around. There is no entrance fee and parking is just £3 no matter the length of stay. The engraved walls of names is very thought provoking and a wonderful place of remembrance, the regimental memorials are incredible, the variety of planted trees impressive and the beautiful laid out 150 acre site is a true credit to the original and current planners. The centre is welcoming with very friendly volunteers on hand to advise and help, the café is reasonably priced and nicely stocked and the gift shop offers items to suit all ages and purses. We look forward to returning on more than one future occasion when we can enjoy the daffodils and the trees and flowers at their best.
Definitely worth a visit but be prepared to walk although the area is mostly paths and flat with some steps. Good disabled access.

This is a beautiful serene setting,and a fitting tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today. It's not just for the Armed Forces past & present,but there are memorials to other organisations too,such as the Bevin Boys,the Ambulance Service,and even a Twin Towers Memorial. I've also heard that later this year they plan to unveil one to the Land Army Girls.
As the site is so vast I would think it almost impossible to view every single memorial and decication plaque in just one day,but as there is no admission fee (just a single £3:00 pay&display parking charge per day - at time of writing) return visits shouldn't be a problem. The grounds are well landscaped and manicured,and most of the memorials are accessible to wheelchair users. There are also guided tour buses ("noddytrains" or golf buggy style vehicles),but charges apply (£4:50 adult ticket for the train). We found all the staff to be very polite,friendly,& knowlegable about the site,and could advise on best routes to see any specific tributes you may wish to view. The very clean and spacious cafe offers a variety of tempting hot and cold meals and snacks,all at reasonable prices. The gift shop has surprising array of items,from the usual "gifte shoppe" items (pencils,key rings,etc) to quality glassware and jewellery,educational history books to childrens activity packs. Unfortunately due to the recent flooding,a lot of the area down by the river was inaccessable,but we'll see them on our next visit. If I had to pick an improvement for the site,it would be for more shelter spaces to be built along the routes. If you get caught in the rain (or even a rare hot sunny day),there's only about three places to shelter,and they're at the far ends of the paths. Check out their website before you go,and enjoy a relaxing day out.......

Large beautifully laid out memorial and arboretum
Free entry (car park not free)
Good cafe & shop
Main memorial very moving

The National Memorial Arboretum is a beautiful and peaceful place. The memorials are just amazing and are not just for the military but for other organisations too. The story teller carving in the chapel is a must see and the volunteers are so enthusiastic and interesting and will spend time answering your questions. There is such a lot to see and the restaurant serves very good meals and refreshments - the scones are particularly good. All the staff in the restaurant, shop and other areas are so friendly and make you feel really welcome. Keep up the great work NMA.

This was our first visit and we were very impressed. We had a very warm welcome from the volunteers as we arrived, who explained about the site and were very friendly and knowledgeable. It was a cold, windy day and we were unable to see all of the memorials due to flooding, but we were very impressed by what we saw. The memorials are fascinating, and very individual - from traditional stone statues to innovative designs and gardens. Having visited many WW1 and WW2 cemeteries, the National Memorial Arboretum was much more varied in its tributes, and it was very humbling to see the names of those killed in conflict since WW2. We visited as a couple but I can imagine that this would be a suitable memorial for children to visit too - and the walk around the site was in itself attractive (without the rain and flooding!).

It's been a while since we last visited the NMA and as it was a nice afternoon we dropped in while on our way home
Although a lot of the bottom of the park was flooded after the recent heavy rain,you could still access a lot of the memorials by keeping to the paths
The place is still a credit to the people who look after it even in all the bad weather we have been having
There are more memorials added every time we go and there are more still under construction
This place is a superb memorial to all the brave people who have made the ultimate sacrifice

A very beautiful place but it will be better when the trees are more established.Very good for the elderly people who will inevitably visit as they have tours on golf carts.A very harrowing place and a very good lunch !!

Despite being 5 minutes late for Sunday lunch as I arrived at 2.35pm the kind staff and chef consented to let me have a lunch and this turned out to be a real treat of Turkey and Beef with scrumptious roast potatoes. They are a very friendly crew who run the restaurant and are always willing to help. Definitely worth a visit to enjoy a roast dinner any day.

Just spent the afternoon at the Arboretum despite the flooding, part of the site was underwater, we had a good walk around, the Burma railway memorial was particularly interesting and a fitting tribute to those who died there.
The introductory talk in the chapel is to be recommended and was very informative regarding each of the major memorials and the symbolism.
The cafe was also good, loved the Stilton and vegetable soup!

Can only say what a moving experience. Well laid out, disabilty friendly, reasonably priced coffee shop

I have been to this place on numerous occasions and its always heart breaking when you see how many lives have been sacrificed to make us what & who we are. My friends name is on one of the pillars and I like to go and pay my respects to him and remember what his family lost.
This place is so peaceful and there is always so much to see as there is always a new memorial or garden opening.
The only thing that I worry about is the amount of empty pillars, ready to have the names of our loved ones on in the future.
RIP Winnie, always missed.x

This is a place I feel privileged to live close to. Have visited on several occasions and always find something new that moves me. So much to see that I have not completed the whole site yet. It is an ongoing project with new memorials. Would recommend this as a must for everyone visiting the area.

I am a regular visitor to the National Memorial Arboretum and I have walked round it with my wife in rain and sunshine, never tiring of the beauty of the whole site, the gardens, trees, the wildlife, but most of all the reminders throughout of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice from the armed services, the police and fire services, and civilians who gave their lives for this country.

Every time I visit there always seems to be another new monument or garden that has been opened or upgraded and the site is now maturing in such a beautiful a way that no-one could ever imagined when it was first opened.The Armed Forces Memorial opened by HM The Queen is a stunning example of architecture, poignant, yet uplifting and should always be included in your tour together with a visit to the chapel where a service of remembrance is held each day at 11am.

The volunteers on the site are always knowledgeable, always welcoming and are great ambassadors for the NMA.

My greatest pleasure is seeing and talking to some of the thousands of veterans and their families who visit each year from all over the Uk and overseas. There is no graffiti, no litter and only lovely people who visit and show the proper respect.

Let me turn to some of the negative points that other reviewers have mentioned and whinged about. Yes the NMA does not receive government funding so I am more than happy to pay my £3 for car parking all day which is a small price to pay, bearing in mind the experience I will have walking round this beautiful site, and that the food and drinks in the restaurant are much less that you would pay in a pub or restaurant and are better quality too..

Yes when we have very heavy and continuous rain there is sometimes some flooding on the low ground, but now that the hard surfaced road is all the way round the site it does not curtail your enjoyment of walking or taking the Land Train round the site.

Yes It is in the main a site dedicated to military sacrifice, but these are the gallant men and women who have paid with their lives ( and still paying) for everything we hold dear in this country and for every one who has made that sacrifice there are hundreds of thousands more who have been grievously wounded and the British Legion who run the NMA are always there to support our armed forces.

All in all a wonderful site and not to be missed.

This was our first visit here, and found it much bigger than we expected, unfortunately, on the day we visited, a lot of the grounds were under water. However, this did not detract too much from the visit. The Arboretum is not solely dedicated to the military, numerous civil bodies are also represented here. We found the experience deeply moving, and I am not ashamed to say I was reduced to tears on several occasions, particularly the 'Shot At Dawn' memorial, and the Far East POW memorial and exhibition.
We had lunch at the Arbour restaurant using the '2 for £10 voucher we found online. An absolute bargain! We had the turkey dinner followed by Christmas cake and coffee, superb, it all tasted home cooked.
We will certainly return here when the weather is more clement. Also I would appeal to others to please leave a donation towards this wonderful and humbling memorial, because although there is a £3 car park fee (All of which goes to support the site ) it costs a great deal of money for it's upkeep.

I've visited NMA on several occassions. You need a full day to be able to get around, and you still won't see everything.
Be sure to take your hankies. It's very moving.
We regularly visit the Royal British Legion section, where we have two trees dedicated to deceased members of our Branch. This year, also, we visited the Burma Star memorium. One of our very dear members passed away this year. He was a Chindit during WW2

Visited yet again and discovered something new although we've made numerous visits here already. Looked at the Far East and Sands memorials in particular and am in awe of the power of human endurance. Followed this with a visit to the Restaurant and made use of a voucher I'd spotted on the website for 2 main meals for £10 during January and February. Brilliant value for money with a melt in the mouth roast pork lunch. We have eaten here a number of times and have always been rewarded with a lovely meal and this certainly didn't disappoint!

Excellent place to visit, peace & tranquillity, not only have we been visiting with the RTTW guys but we also have a tree to remember my sister by, a bench will follow, this place is Perfect to visit for those you wish to Remember, whether it's someone in the Armed Forces or a family member or friend. And the Remembrance Wall is just something else, all the people there do a Fantastic Job, I look forward to more visits,

I have visited over the last 5 years and the memorial improves on each visit. Hopefully i will be able to see it mature. A must visit if in the area.