e tea stop whilst on our way to France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of 1st world war. we'd heard great things about it but nothing prepared us for what we saw. arrived early to take advantage of a hearty breakfast and was greeted by lovely volunteers who were extremely helpful. we were looking for a few thing in particular including regiments, and more specifically war veterans and everyone we asked were extremely well informed and,able to direct us to exactly where we wanted to see. Apart from the main memorial of the fallen etched on stone tablets, there were hundreds of regimental memorials scattered within the gardens. the place is huge and a fitting tribute to all the men, women and animals who served. I had read a few negative reviews about the service of remembrance on the 11th. all I can say is, the plans were huge and being set up as we were there on the Friday morning. The numbers attending could not have been anticipated and as for the complaint about the cafe, I would have thought it would have been pleasing to see so many people attending to pay their respects. I am sure following our experience and that of others I have spoken to, the staff will have done their utmost to hold a service fitting for the fallen

My wife and were invited to to the NMA for the Armistice 100. Over the last five years it has developed into a 'place to see'. The history, the serenity and the layout is second to none. I fully recommend anyone to make a visit. Helping to make visits is the staff around the whole area, pleasant, friendly and extremely knowledgeable.
Thank you for our day of remembrance.

Second time we've visited last time was ''ride to the wall'' 2017. My complaint this time was the lack of buses from Park and Ride we were told there were 3 but saw only 2 so after driving nearly 2 hours stuck in traffic we then held our own minutes silence in a car park. My other complaint was the overflowing toilet close to the Christmas Truce Memorial. We watched an elderly disabled gentleman struggling to use the toilet, please can we treat these old soldiers with more respect.

My wife and I had been meaning to visit for ages and we are both glad we did. We found it all very moving on a glorious September day. AS the site is so large,we decided to take the train around the arboretum as other people have recommended on Tripadvisor. This gives a good insight with commentary and we were glad we did it. WE spent the whole day here walking around after the train trip and have still not managed to see it all. Will definitely be returning to take in the rest. There is also a restaurant and shop to visit. The guides are very helpful and knowledgeable too

Another wonderful visit. Such a special place ideal for quiet personal reflection and to meet friends from years past

My husband and I visited on a very rainy day in September..absolutely amazing place such beautifully kept gardens detail on monuments was exceptional totally heart wrenching to read some of the stories of the very brave people who had fought in many wars not just 1 and 2. Children should visit to learn what their great great grandparents era went through to enable us to live the life we do today..so thankyou to all those who give their time some as volunteers to keep this great place so immaculate..

I came here primarily to lay a "In Remembrance Cross" at the Royal Welch Fusiliers Memorial to my grandfather. The whole experience was moving and uplifting. So many memorials and many that you can relate to. This is definitely a place you should visit in your lifetime.

Our first visit here was with a party of 500 attending the launch of the new holiday brochure of Johnsons Coaches of Henley in Arden. The Conference facilities were modern and comfortable and after lunch we were free to explore.

Although it was quite a busy day, even without our party, it is a big enough site not to feel overcrowded. We booked for the land traIn first to help get our bearings and we thought the £6 fare for a 50 minute ride with a recorded commentary was well worthwhile, especially as entrance to the site is free. We will certainly be returning as there is too much to see and take in for one visit but we found the whole experience very moving, especially as we went the weekend before Remembrance Sunday.

A word about the catering. Seeing a long queue and knowing there were 500 of us having lunch in addition to the rest of the visitors, we feared the worst. But we shouldn't have as it was very well organised with enough staff who were both efficient and helpful and we had a very nice lunch. A lesson here for other mass catering outlets who just seem to get overwhelmed when busy.

The pouring rain did not dampen the poignancy of a visit to the NMA.
The grounds were amazing. The sheer number of memorials, each lovingly cared for, demonstrated the importance and relevance of this place.
The central memorial was truly impressive. It inspires feelings of pride and thanks to all those that made the ultimate sacrifice. Just reading random names emphasised the price our military paid.
Mandy found the Association of Wrens memorial garden and we both found the Arethusa tree. A time to reflect.
I paid my own respects to my fellow Freemasons at the new Masonic Memorial.

We visited the memorial arboretum with our two teenages, fascinating exhibition, informative talks and audio guides, very moving experience, everyone should try to visit at least once to show their respects. The Shot At Dawn memorial was heartbreaking but beautiful, it has had a huge effect on us, I sat and wept, I still can't understand how we could have shot our men in such a cruel and horrific way, some of them just teenagers!
The arboretum has got bigger and better every time we've visited. Thank you to their staff for making each visit wonderful.

Visited over half term with friends and children.
It is an amazing memorial site and considerable vision has gone into it's planning.
Simple and effective and thought provoking, set in a living environment
Plenty of area for the kids to run free. There are many memorials dotted all around the big hitters which makes interesting discoveries. couple of playgrounds too - which I think could be expanded on. We covered about a good half in 4 hours with a stop for coffee and lunch. I think that it would be a good idea to have a coffee/refreshments outpost at some of the furthest away points. I appreciate it is not a tourist destination per se but we could have covered more ground if we didn't keep having to come back to the visitor center for top ups! Highly recommend. Some of the memorials are extremely moving

Weve been meaning to go for years and never gotten round to it due to a busy lifestyle. Today with a rare free afternoon we made the drive. Our only complaint we didn't have a full day. Such a tranquil, tasteful and truly humbling place. We spent a couple of hours slowly meandering with one of our dogs and most definitely will be back.

We went there for a presentation of their new programme by Johnsons Coaches of Henley-in-Arden. There were about 500 of us and the room held us all. Excellent audio visual equipment available and they fed us in two sittings. Food was of reasonable quality.
The whole place was very well designed and managed.

The arboretum is laid out over a wide area. Each installation is thoughtfully constructed. We took the 'train' through the main exhibits and this was the right move because you are given a great tour, which explains the meaning and significance of many of the arboretum's features.
The Sands Garden (dedicated to babies that have died) was particularly memorable - as was an installation dedicated to those shot at dawn for cowardice or desertion (and all posthumously pardoned). This latter installation is positioned so that it receives the first rays of the sun each morning - which is only one example of how much thought has gone into the construction of the entire arboretum.
We went with my mum and dad and we would all thoroughly recommend this tremendous place.

Went to the aboretum yesterday to see all the trees in their autumn splendour. Yes we saw the trees, but so, so much more. Did not really know what to expect but was amazed at what we did see. Difficult to describe how despite the tributes to the fallen in all the different wars, there is an overwhelming feeling of peace. The grounds are beautifully laid out so that there is plenty to see whilst also giving you space to think and contemplate. It is such an emotional place to visit despite the fact that I only know 1 person who lost their life in a war, but at not point did you feel it was maudlin.
It is so tastefully and gently done, particularly the Flags for the Fallen and the Armed Forces Memorial are outstanding, and the thought that has gone into the whole area is unbelievable.
We took our dog and was directed to the dog walking paths. These were lovely and still enabled you to see so much, and with 2 of us there it was very easy to leave the dog with one of us whilst the other went to the areas that the dog was not allowed in to, and then swap over. The cafe is also dog friendly and yes the dog was actually allowed in the cafe. The cafe did the best hot chocolate i have ever had.
We saw a number of guides throughout, and found them hugely knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful.
It was a bitterly cold day and we didn't get to see everything despite t=being there for nearly 4 hours, so we will just have to go again.
Thank you for all the hard work and attention to detail that has made this an incredible experience

A moving and thought provoking place. We took the land train around the grounds and then went back to the areas we wanted to see more of. The Chapel holds a daily 2 minutes silence at 11am and the bastion memorial wall is incredibly moving whether you know names on it or not. A lovely an tranquil place that is an important place for so many people for so many reasons. Will definitely be going back.

We’ve visited th N.M.A many times before and after they had done all the alterations ,which are very good and the cafe so much bigger. Everyone should go at least once ( they will soon return ) It’s good to be there in the chapel for 11am for the service and short talk about N.M.A. This is every day except Christmas Day I believe. There is a little train you can pay a small donation and this takes you a very good way around. We’ve done the walking around often but last time we took the train and still saw things we hadn’t seen before also the driver does commentary. It really is a must and I bet you have a tear at some stage of your visit.

After years of intending to visit I finally went to the NMA. Why did I leave it so long??? The grounds are peaceful and memorials to our fallen surround the focal Armed Forces Memorial wall. As you walk around the grounds you come across memorials to groups of people/animals that don’t automatically spring to mind when thinking of conflict. The most touching moments for me were the Shot at Dawn Memorial, Bomb Disposal/Bravest do the Brave Memorial and the Far East POW building. Most impressive...the Parachute Regiment Airborne Forces Memorial but I am biased because it is my son’s regiment.
I went on a chilly breezy day and was thankful I had wrapped up, hat, scarf etc. Something to bear in mind because the site is very open to the elements.

A very worthwhile visit it helps us to remember the cost of life for our freedom which we can so easily forget.

This is the toughest review I've written for TA. This was our first visit to the NMA. We have visited many cemeteries and memorials throughout the UK and Europe and the contrast couldn't be greater. CWGC cemeteries, even the large and famous ones, on the continent are always havens of peace and quiet. The NMA on the other hand seems to be a victim of its own success. Our visit was at a Monday lunchtime and the car park was rammed, not helped by visitors' shoddy parking wasting many of the exceedingly ungenerous badly marked spaces.
Despite being a free attraction, the tills at the entrance lay it on very thick that a donation is expected. (Frankly, the State should be funding the NMA.)
As we tried to get our bearings, a staff member/volunteer(?) offered assistance and was excellent at helping us find the particular memorial we were after.
I don't know if Monday is maintenance day, but during our visit the air was filled continuously with whining strimmers, leaf blowers (get a rake or a broom!) and lawn mowers. The whole NMA was impeccable and I realise it requires a lot of maintenance, so I hope they get it all out of the way every Monday and leave the rest of the week in peace.
The sheer number of visitors also spoiled the ambience. I shan't be returning when I want to remember in quiet contemplation.
The RNS memorial was closed off with plastic barriers with no explanation, running its setting ng. We thought it was unfinished, but the plaque suggested it was a few years old. The state of the barriers and surrounding vegetation suggested it had been closed off for some time.
We didn't use the £6 land train, but did experience the driver aggressively telling the waiting passengers how he wanted the train filled. Does it really matter? Couldn't he be polite?
At the end of the visit, we had a look round the shop, then visited the loos before trying to leave, but we couldn't find the exit and had to ask. Turns out the exit is through the gift shop and only through the gift shop - such blatant hard selling sticks in the craw at a place such as this. Even the National Trust, more often than not, have a simple alternative exit!

I visited the Arboretum as part of a coach day trip which also took in Lichfield. The weather wasn't great but I found the whole Arboretum experience very moving. I did the landtrain tour (because of the weather and our short visit) which gives you food for thought and I will certainly visit again. I did manage to walk round parts of the area but our trip certainly didn't allow us sufficient time to be able to take it all in. I spoke with one of the volunteers who suggested that really 2 days is needed to be able to see everything. The forces memorial in the centre of the Arboretum is stunning and I found this very emotional given all the names which are engraved of all those who have lost their lives since WW2. Definitely worth a visit - there is also a shop and a cafe/restaurant and I will certainly be going back to spend more time there.

My husband and I visited for the second time (first visit was quite a few years ago). My husband is a wheelchair user so we made sure we arrived early enough so he could park in the main car park. We had breakfast first then headed out. We were advised to buy tickets for the landtrain and enjoyed going around on it. I then left my husband in heroes square and went off on my own. The weather was lovely and everyone was smiling but there was very much a sense of appreciating those who had gone before us. I don't mind admitting to shedding the odd tear or two. We will be back, as we are yet to see everything.

Wow, a very humbling experience. Visited for a day and really didn't have enough time to get round and see everything..

This place provokes a great deal of thought with some pretty amazing things to do and see.

We imagine that a visit for remembrance day would be incredible but then we suspect that you wouldn't get anywhere near the chapel or the central part of the arboretum.

Definitely a place to visit

I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the NMA and would suggest it worthwhile to take one of the guided tours. Paul, the guide this evening, was extremely knowledgeable and both easy and interesting to listen to.

My father survived the sinking of HMS Repulse on the 10th December 1941 by the Japanese. I have wanted to visit the memorial to his ship and pay my respects to all his lost comrades and this week I got my wish. I took along his medals and had my photograph taken. I found it very emotional but also I was an extremely proud daughter. The Arboretum is a wonderful place to visit. The staff very knowledgeable, the grounds are beautifully kept. I am so happy I visited.