National Memorial Arboretum

4.9/5 based on 11769 reviews
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Fabulous place to visit, especially if you have a connection to one of the many memorial gardens here. The grounds are immaculately kept and the static displays situated around the place are moving and interesting in their storytelling. Very moving to see the 1000's of tributes to fallen servicemen and women and also in some of the civilian gardens. Definitely worth visiting if you are in the area. Admission is free but I am sure after leaving any visitor would wish to make a donation.
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Set in really beautiful and tranquil surroundings the memorials are inspirational to young and old alike. and each time we have been more have been added.
We find that riding around the grounds on the little train is a good way to see most of the monuments and to hear the history of each one.
After the ride we then know where to go back to to see any significant memorial we wish to view, in detail.
The restaurant serves a good and varied menu and a small gift shop is there if you want a memento of your visit.
We went on Saturday 5th July and were lucky to be able to join in the annual celebrations organised by the Royal Artillery Association.
Plus the sun shone all day. Wonderful !!!
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Great place to spend time. Not only to reflect but to learn, the memorials here are inspirational. The cafe/restaurant serves great food from fantastic full english breakfast to Sunday Carvery. You just get lost wandering and reading the dedications and end up eating a great meal. Fantastic day.
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A really lovely day out. Very interesting & humbling. Far bigger than expected. You do really need to make it a days visit. We also went on the little train that goes around. I think this was a good idea as you get to see more & you learn about the different monuments.
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I had never heard of the place, but how amazing was it, such a surprise. Seeing all the names of the people that had lost their lives in all the wars, right up until present day. A very moving place. No entrance fee, but £3 for parking. There is a restaurant although we didn't try it, also a gift shop and toilets.
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We didn't know what to expect when we visited here recently but the place is very well planned, the walks are beautiful and the memorials are very moving and poignant.

You can wander freely around the place, in between beautiful wooded areas, paths and the various memorials.

The central monument is extremely moving.

What I can't believe though, is how anyone can mark this as average or below... You're missing the whole point of the place!!!
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I visited the arboretum together with a group of senior British Legion members, and we had a good day, but there are some areas that could be improved. The memorials are very moving - and the whole site, as the trees grow up, can only grow more imposing. As it is mainly staffed by volunteers, coordinating the services must be tricky, but I would suggest not charging for the site map, ensuing that all senior visitors are made aware of the availability of scooters/golf buggies on admission - one or two of our party saw very little as the became aware of the golf buggy services too late. Also perhaps a board near the entrance showing the program of talks for the day, and perhaps a dedicated train for those with blue badges to get them from talk to talk? The food was good, the facilities were spotless, and I'm sure, now we know the ropes, that we will be back.
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The whole layout was beautiful with all the memorials given plenty of space. In particular the "shot at dawn" memorial brought tears to our eyes but we wouldn't have missed it for the world. Everybody should go.
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My wife and I visited Lichfield not realising that the Arboretum was nearby. We were informed about it at our B&B and thought we would go there the next morning. We were only going to stay for a few hours but found so much to see and do that we stayed well into the late afternoon. It was the perfect place to walk around, to think and reflect about our country and about the thousands of people who have given their lives over time to maintain freedom in so many countries of the world as well in our own country. Both of us were moved and affected by the memorials that we saw and by reading the accompanying information. It is beautifully maintained and the staff were extremely helpful whenever we asked for help or explanations of how the arboretum came to be. Definitely a place we will visit again.
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This was one of the most moving experiences I have ever experienced. The place was beautifully laid out and covered all the forces and their lost sons. It is a tranquil place to visit and we could see that many fellow visitors had a direct interest in the site.
It was indeed a most humbling experience in today's mad world.
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If you have any involvement with the military then a visit here is recommended. To see the names of service men and women who gave their lives for the country is quite emotional. In addition there are the disbanded regiments, squadrons and ships, etc.
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A moving place that offer so much, enjoyed by the whole family even two young children who were able to really understand from seeing the tributes more about the history of the Wars.

The grounds were very restful and clearly well loved and maintained.
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We were lucky enough to visit on Armed Forces Day and there was lots going on. It was great to see all the veterans displaying their medals. The place itself is so well maintained and is a credit to all the staff. Will definitely visit again.
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We have seen the National Memorial Aboretum grow from a soggy site to the magnificent development it is today. Including the hugely impressive Armed Forces Memorial there are tributes to so many groups from the moving 'Shot At Dawn' to the simple Dinkirk memorial to the Burma Railway tribute. Everyone should go.
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We had a great Father day here. My step dad loved it and so did my 9 year old son! My son is a little historian on WW1 and WW2. He got very upset but he cant wait to visit again tomorrow. There are some beautiful memorials to see.
There is a lovely restaurant and gift shop and there is a little train that takes you around the arboretum.

A lovey day out, that everyone should visit
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What a wonderful day we had at the National Memorial Arboretum, you really need more than one day to visit this location.We all must be very proud of this place and encourage others to pay a visit, it is essential that we remember all who gave thier lives.
With no entrance fee and car parking only three pounds for all day parking.I would have willingly payed any amount to visit this memorable location, beautifully maintained as well.
tripadvisor.co.uk
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Wow what a special place. Very respectful and at the same time relaxed. So many memorials to see. A lovely restaurant and souvenir shop both very reasonable. A must visit place.
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This was my second visit to the NMA - last time there was so much I couldn't get to see.

Again, a moving and thought-provoking visit (the "Shot At Dawn" memorial is one I missed last time and I was so glad to have seen it this time).

Immaculately maintained with many spots to just sit quietly and take in the surroundings BUT just one gripe. The designated dog-walking areas are a disgrace, befouled on both paths and surrounding grassed areas to the extent that admiring the surroundings is impossible while picking one's way through the mess!

Before I post a review I always read those already posted. It staggers me to read complaints about paying for parking. £3 charge for a site which has free entry is unacceptable? Where have these people been? The irony is often that people see no difficulty in paying high prices for other garden visits - where the "free parking" is factored into the cost - but gripe about a (very reasonable) charge here.

Rant over - my breakfast in the café was delicious and so was the afternoon cake!
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My wife and I took my elderly father as he was a Royal Marine during WW2. We took our own wheelchair as we left it too late to book one of theirs. We arrived just in time for the Last Post etc in the chapel, which we found very moving. We went to the Naval area and looked around the memorial dotted around the place. We weren't sure about the new glass memorial, but we all decided that it grew on us when the sun shone. The "main" memorial listing the names of service men and women killed since WW2 was thought provoking and reinforced the feeling of thanks we owe to so many. I've never seen a more moving memorial than the one with a soldier led on the ground with a female "medic" caring for him.

Food in the cafe was fine and reasonably priced. The price of a small ice cream from a stall however was excessive. I'm pretty certain that it was a franchised stall.

My father saw what he wanted to and there is much more to see and we will return one day.
tripadvisor.co.uk
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Another visit to the National Arboretum, this time for a RAF memorial,but for a change in sunshine.
It may not be classed as an attraction but it should be a must for the thoughtful amongst us, whilst it has a substantial amount of memorials and sculptures each with a garden for each one. Many are for well known incidents but many are for little known happenings in our history. A must.....the gardens are acres and acres of lush grass,trees,memorials. A well appointed restaurant serving snacks and full meals in the grounds ...... Which is free to enter just pay for the parking...or a bus ......no pressure to buy anything and of course can take your own food and drink to consume on one of 100rds of benches.... Well worth going....
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Though mostly smaller monuments dotted around the site, you can't help be moved at the sacrifice of so many. A large, very impressive, centre monument for those lost after the Second World War is the highlight of the arboretum. Positives, friendly staff/volunteers, pleasant walks and moving monuments. Negatives, this is by no means a free museum. Entrance is free but you pay for car parking, £3,(even disabled visitors) and if you want to do the tour train it's £5.00 per adult (my mother is disabled and we thought this would be the least tiring way of seeing the site). While I don't begrudge paying towards running costs/upkeep I would prefer costs to be highlighted more on the website (only car parking charges advertised). Restaurant, though food was tasty, was very over priced. After spending £15.00 for train tour and £25.00 for lunch (it stated all proceeds go direct to the arboretum in the restaurant) I didn't feel I could justify leaving a donation. Would recommend but be aware all these extras add up.
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Should be compolsory for us all to visit, living as we do because of the sacrifaces others have made. It is free so take some time out to go and pay your respects. A must is to go to the Burma Railway exhibition area.
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With 150 well laid out acres with 400+ memorials ( of which only circa 40% are "military") the land train ride is a must to get a feel for the extent/layout of a moving/remarkable place after which you can "select" where you want to go back to. A visit to the chapel for the daily minute of remembrance silence and introductory talk is also a must .Restaurant and shopping facilities are also excellent
tripadvisor.co.uk
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It is perhaps best to say that it is a unique experience to visit this place and leave it for people to discover. A neighbour had said that they visited when it was first opened and again more recently. I could see why it is a place to return to as the trees are all going to be maturing for years and although we were there for four and a half hours we saw under a half of the site. The staff on reception were very helpful so we made the most of our time. The experience of the 11am silence in the chapel set the scene. The land-train was well worth the £5 fare for the long ride and commentary. Refreshments were good and there were tables for picnics and places to walk dogs by the river. While we appreciate that it is a memorial site we felt that if there could possibly be toilets at the far end it would benefit a lot of people. (The toilets in the centre were full and not very well ventilated.) You really need to buy a map or a guide book to find your way round and appreciate the memorials.
tripadvisor.co.uk
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Enjoyed a lovely morning here, wandering slowly through the various memorials. A beautiful place but full of poignant memorials which you have time/space to contemplate in peace. We walked for a good few miles around, just taking our time to look around. Having seen the train going around I think I'd recommend that, if you're fit and able to walk, it's better to just meander around at your own pace. We ate in the tea rooms which was great value for money. Highly recommend this for young/old alike, and have a look on the website first to see what events are on so you can time your visit to get the best experience.
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