Harman Patil (Editor)

National Memorial Arboretum

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Website
  
thenma.org.uk

Phone
  
+44 1283 245100

Area
  
61 ha

National Memorial Arboretum

Location
  
Alrewas, Staffordshire, England

Created
  
16 May 2001 (2001-05-16)

Operated by
  
The Royal British Legion

Address
  
Croxall Road, Alrewas, Burton-on-Trent DE13 7AR, United Kingdom

Hours
  
Closed now Tuesday9AM–5PMWednesday9AM–5PMThursday9AM–5PMFriday9AM–5PMSaturday9AM–5PMSunday9AM–5PMMonday9AM–5PMSuggest an edit

Similar
  
Armed Forces Memorial, Beacon Park, Erasmus Darwin House, Samuel Johnson Birthplac, Shot at Dawn Memorial

Profiles

The national memorial arboretum short documentary


The National Memorial Arboretum (grid reference SK185144) is a national site of remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It gives its purpose as:

Contents

The National Memorial Arboretum honours the fallen, recognises service and sacrifice and fosters pride in our country. It is a spiritually uplifting place and is emerging as a world-renowned centre for remembrance.

Quadcopter at the national memorial arboretum alrewas u k


Origins

The idea for the Arboretum was conceived by David Childs in 1988. He believed that it would form a living tribute to service men and women for future generations to reflect upon and enjoy. The Arboretum was officially opened on 16 May 2001. It is a registered charity and is part of The Royal British Legion family of charities.

Location

The Arboretum is situated just south of Alrewas on approximately 150 acres (0.61 km2; 0.23 sq mi) of old gravel workings, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lichfield, Staffordshire. It is adjacent to the confluence of the River Tame with the River Trent, and directly neighbouring Croxall Lakes. It is at the western end of the National Forest, just off the A38 road.

Features

The Arboretum contains over 50,000 trees, with more being added each year.

There are nearly 300 memorials for the armed forces, civilian organisations and voluntary bodies who have played a part in serving the country; and even HMS Amethyst's cat. Several corporate war memorials – from British banks, building societies, and insurance companies – have been relocated to the grounds, when the original owners became unable or unwilling to care for them. At the heart of the Arboretum is the Armed Forces Memorial, which is a tribute to over 16,000 service personnel who have lost their lives in conflict or as a result of terrorism since the end of the Second World War. At 11 am on 11 November each year the sun shines through two slits in the outer and inner walls of the memorial, casting a shaft of light across a wreath in the centre.

Within the Arboretum is the Millennium Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness where, at 11 am each day, an act of remembrance takes place. Following the two minutes silence, accompanied by the Last Post and Reveille, there is an introductory talk about the arboretum.

The Armed Forces Memorial was dedicated in October 2007 by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of the Queen.

In 2010, the Volunteers of the National Memorial Arboretum were awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

Some of the other features of the National Memorial Arboretum are described below.

References

National Memorial Arboretum Wikipedia