National Memorial Arboretum
Latest Reviews
I really enjoyed my visit to the NMA.
No entry charge, but donations gratefully accepted. There is a charge for all day parking (£3).
So many memorials and so much to stop and think about. Something that is certainly worth taking your time over during the visit.
The thought behind the memorials is excellent - such as the Shot At Dawn being placed so it is the first memorial to see the sun each morning. Little details, but amazing impact.
The grounds of the NMA were peaceful and very well maintained.
I visited the smaller coffee shop for lunch, where the food was fresh and very well priced.
Also a well stocked gift shop on site.
Very well worth another visit.
No entry charge, but donations gratefully accepted. There is a charge for all day parking (£3).
So many memorials and so much to stop and think about. Something that is certainly worth taking your time over during the visit.
The thought behind the memorials is excellent - such as the Shot At Dawn being placed so it is the first memorial to see the sun each morning. Little details, but amazing impact.
The grounds of the NMA were peaceful and very well maintained.
I visited the smaller coffee shop for lunch, where the food was fresh and very well priced.
Also a well stocked gift shop on site.
Very well worth another visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Nice place to visit had a tea room where you can get food and a drink. Well kept memorial garden outside. Had a nice walk around
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A wonderful place. However, the Land Train is over-expensive at £6 - couldn't hear the commentary because of the diesel (!) engine with its carcinogenic fumes. Ban diesel and have a more environmentally friendly train. No admission fee but £3 for a simple map?! It is a great place to remember those who have served their country and well worth visiting.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Should have visited years ago.
Great setting very well maintained and looked after.
Great place and volunteers very knowledgeable and helpful.
Would recommend everyone should visit at least once
Great setting very well maintained and looked after.
Great place and volunteers very knowledgeable and helpful.
Would recommend everyone should visit at least once
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Beautiful if slightly chilly start of autumn at a beautiful, peaceful site. So many well-earnt accolades; eye-catching and thought-provoking memorials to so many brave men and women. Very tidy, calm and serene place to contemplate our heroes. Well worth a visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited here after a friend mentioned it. Never knew about it before. Lovely place, full of stories and memories. There are lots of talks and information on all aspects of conflicts past and present.
Spent a day here, but so much to see would happily return.
Spent a day here, but so much to see would happily return.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
There is great beauty, thought and emotion throughout
Multiple visits & hours spent here and you will still find something new and educational
i will be back again
Multiple visits & hours spent here and you will still find something new and educational
i will be back again
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Nothing but praise for this wonderful place. Beautiful, restful, moving in the extreme. Cant wait to go back. A fantastic tribute to our fallen and the fallen of the Empire/Commonwealth.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I visited the national memorial arboretum with friends, there is a £3 (all day) car parking charge but, entrance is free. There is a large impression building, this houses the main entrance, cafe & shop, there are also a computer system that allows you to search for friends or relatives that are mentioned on the memorial wall.
The grounds are extensive and are clearly marked if you decide to walk round the area, there is also a “train” that drives around the site, there is a charcoal for this.
Reading the names on the main memorial or on the many smaller memorial, paying tribute to the fallen, is very humbling.
The site has memorial to not just the armed services but, to many organisation the have helped in many conflicts around the world.
Just a note: this is an outdoor memorial, so sensible shoes and waterproof clothes should be considered, most of the grounds are wheelchair friendly and easily accessible to disabled visitors.
Well worth a visit.
The grounds are extensive and are clearly marked if you decide to walk round the area, there is also a “train” that drives around the site, there is a charcoal for this.
Reading the names on the main memorial or on the many smaller memorial, paying tribute to the fallen, is very humbling.
The site has memorial to not just the armed services but, to many organisation the have helped in many conflicts around the world.
Just a note: this is an outdoor memorial, so sensible shoes and waterproof clothes should be considered, most of the grounds are wheelchair friendly and easily accessible to disabled visitors.
Well worth a visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is a lovely place to visit at any time of the year. Always plenty of interest and wonderful colour in the gardens and trees.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I was amazed at the scale of the site and so well cared for. Suggest you start at the Remembrance Centre where there are plenty of volunteers to help you plan your visit. We started with a guided walk which lasted about 45 minutes and provided an excellent background to the history and we were shown the main memorials including advice on any of personal interest.
Took us about 5 hours to cover the majority of the site including lunch which was good value.
Admittance is free with just a charge of £3 for parking.
Well worth the visit. I found the Far East Prisoners of War Exhibition very harrowing & moving.
Took us about 5 hours to cover the majority of the site including lunch which was good value.
Admittance is free with just a charge of £3 for parking.
Well worth the visit. I found the Far East Prisoners of War Exhibition very harrowing & moving.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We were amazed at the scale of the Memorial with its 150 acres and many beautiful memorials.
You cannot help but be deeply humbled and moved by the experience and it is one place everyone should visit
You cannot help but be deeply humbled and moved by the experience and it is one place everyone should visit
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This was our second trip to the arboretum, and this time walked right round the whole area which took about four hours, beautiful memorials some very moving and it is a fitting tribute to all lives that have been lost due to conflict and it certainly makes you think.
The site is beautifully maintained and you can hire buggies or take the train round the site which we did on our first trip. Entry is free but you can make a donation should you wish.
Our only criticism is the cafe, particularly the serving area where staff seem to need further training.
The site is beautifully maintained and you can hire buggies or take the train round the site which we did on our first trip. Entry is free but you can make a donation should you wish.
Our only criticism is the cafe, particularly the serving area where staff seem to need further training.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Went here on a very rainy day, so unfortunately didn't see everything. However what we did get round via the land train, was very poignant. I have to confess we did go to find a particular memorial as we had a friend who was killed on HMS Ardent. We found him listed there and also on the main memorial,which in the rain is an amazing sight but in the sunshine should be spectacular. Hope to visit again when the weather is better.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Stopped off here for a visit whilst on a garden tour.
Beautifully kept memorial garden, you can't help but being moved. There is a land train which tours the garden and you can get of and on as you please.
Beautifully kept memorial garden, you can't help but being moved. There is a land train which tours the garden and you can get of and on as you please.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
What a lovely place for reflection and to rember those that have fallen. Full of memorials big and small. You will not see all of it in one day. The land train and the buggy tour is recommended
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A moving and emotional experience, the most poignant being the shot at dawn memorial. Everyone should visit her at least once.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I have wanted to visit here for some time.I managed to persuade my hubby to take me.It is a beautiful place..calming and serene.We walked all the way around..it took us a few hours because we took in all the enormity of it.My favourite was the memorial in remembrance of the Falklands conflict.The actual exhibit is an exact replica because my hubby actually built the original in Port Stanley..The central memorial with all the names of all those who have passed away is truly humbling and i saw men quietly crying whilst there.Certainly for my husband it was a sad moment as he searched out and found the names of some of his Royal Engineer friends who went to the Falkands and never returned.
There are a couple of nice restaurants and a fabulous gift shop.
There are a couple of nice restaurants and a fabulous gift shop.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Arrived with a 9 10 and 14 year old. They all enjoyed it. We went on the train, very informative. A vintage fair was on and had some great little stalls. Had ice cream very delicious. Well worth a visit
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We had a lovely, interesting day out.
So much to see and take in, we needed all day.
The 'train' around the area, with voice over was perfect.
Everywhere was so clean and tidy, the staff were helpful
Enjoyed our lunch too.
I cannot rate it to high
So much to see and take in, we needed all day.
The 'train' around the area, with voice over was perfect.
Everywhere was so clean and tidy, the staff were helpful
Enjoyed our lunch too.
I cannot rate it to high
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The Arboretum is easy to find just off the A38. We had no problems finding it and it was easy to park (we went on a weekday in September). There was ample disabled parking as well. It costs £3 to park but the entry costs are free. There was an exhibition there as well we didn't get time to visit it but normally you pay for that although it was free this month,
We gave ourselves 2 hours but that wasn't really enough time to see everything. If you have a connection to the forces I suspect you could easily spend a whole day there. I could probably spend a whole day there just walking around and learning.
All of the paths are flat and easy to work on. There were a few steps to the main monument but I think there is a path for wheelchairs as I saw some at the monument with the steps. If you have limited walking ability about 70% of the site can be seen via a 50 minute tram ride around the site. It stopped at monuments but I didn't see people getting out just looking from the tram. I personally preferred the walk.
The monuments are well kept along with the grounds. They looked really good to me considering the lack of water this summer.
We gave ourselves 2 hours but that wasn't really enough time to see everything. If you have a connection to the forces I suspect you could easily spend a whole day there. I could probably spend a whole day there just walking around and learning.
All of the paths are flat and easy to work on. There were a few steps to the main monument but I think there is a path for wheelchairs as I saw some at the monument with the steps. If you have limited walking ability about 70% of the site can be seen via a 50 minute tram ride around the site. It stopped at monuments but I didn't see people getting out just looking from the tram. I personally preferred the walk.
The monuments are well kept along with the grounds. They looked really good to me considering the lack of water this summer.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We visited in August 2018 on a very warm sunny day. The facilities at the Arboretum are exceptional, the guide book and grid plan are a must if you are looking for any particular memorials, although there is a touch screen and staff who are happy to help you find a memorial, however purchase of the book helps to maintain the place, which is free (you only pay to park) and run by volunteers. The guide book helped us to find the ones we visited to see, and also to explain more about others. We chose to walk, but only managed to cover a third and didn't have time to visit the indoor exhibition, even after two visits to the restaurant for a caffeine break! We will be coming back with my father at Easter 2019 as we have now read the guide book and there are so many more memorials we want to see, and I will be back again in June volunteering with RAFA. We were lucky to see the RAF100 display as well. The site is peaceful and a fitting tribute to lives lost in many different ways and we can't recommend it enough. Even my daughter who is 10 found it interesting. The whole site is inspiring and the restaurant a lovely place to sit and reflect over great coffee and food.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We had visited the 'War graves' and thought that this may be similar, but no, entirely different. Beautiful surroundings, memorials well made and very interesting. The 11am short service in the chapel was well presented and all the staff were very helpful. We will have to go again to see more of it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I came on a rainy day but this did not really impact my visit. The car parking is £3 which is fair and they only ask for donations to enter. The restaurant serves good food at a reasonable price. I covered most of the site in about two hours and found the central memorial to be a very fitting tribute to all those who have passed on active service since 1945. The shot at dawn memorial was quite moving. Overall, a good half day out.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Had a wonderful day here. It was bigger than I thought it would be. The memorials were something else, we did the train which took us all around the the place.with a running commentary saying all about the memorials. The drivers were fun as well.food was great there and so we're all the staff. I will definitely be paying this place another visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
