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Peaceful, tranquil and a place for quiet contemplation, the National Memorial Arboretum is a beautiful 150-acre arboretum and a year round Garden of Remembrance. It opens at 9am every day (except Christmas Day) and entry is free of charge, but donations are encouraged.

The Arboretum is located in the village of Alrewas, Staffordshire, and is easy to get to by road, being close to the M6 and M1 motorways. Reasonably priced parking is available on-site. Lichfield Trent Valley railway station is only around five miles away, and Tamworth and Burtonu upon Trent stations are both around eight miles away.

A Place of Remembrance

Using the beauty of nature to commemorate the service and bravery of those who have given up their lives for their country, the National Memorial Arboretum is a sombre yet uplifting experience. Several activities are run each day in order to remember victims of conflicts throughout history. For example, at 11am every day an Act of Remembrance takes place in the Millennium Chapel. The service includes a brief history of the arboretum and a two minute silence.

At 12pm, join a guide at the Far East Prisoners of War Memorial Building for a short talk on the service personnel that were based in the far east in World War II. Then, at 1.30pm every day, a very moving talk highlighting the story behind the hundreds of soldiers that were shot at dawn in World War One takes place.

150 acres is a lot to explore on foot and, for this reason, the arboretum offers buggy tours with an expert guide lasting around 50 minutes. A land train also runs between the various memorials with disabled access and room for up to 54 people.

The National Arboretum is designed as a place for remembrance, but its beauty is inspirational and particularly stunning during the autumn, when the trees blaze in every fiery colour imaginable. Staffordshire has a comprehensive range of hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs ranging from two to five star establishments, many of which are close to the National Memorial Arboretum. Hotels in Staffordshire are reasonably priced and levels of service and professionalism are excellent, even in the more affordable hotels.