What is the National Memorial Arboretum?
The National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is a special space of peace and tranquillity.
▌Visit the National Memorial Arboretum website to find out more.
Placed on the edge of the National Forrest in Staffordshire, it is a spiritually uplifting place that honours the fallen, recognises service and sacrifice, and fosters pride in our country. The Arboretum has something for everyone. For some it’s a wonderful place to stroll and enjoy the trees; for others it's a peaceful, beautiful place to remember loved ones, particularly those who gave their lives in the Armed Forces community.
With 30,000 trees and the more than 300 dedicated memorials, the Arboretum is a living tribute that will forever acknowledge the personal sacrifices made by the Armed Forces and civil services of this country.
There are several, daily activities at the arboretum to help remember the commitment that the AF community have made to service.
These include:
- Living Memory Talk
- Guided walks
- Daily Act of Remembrance
- Far East Prisoners of War Talk
- Armed Forces Memorial Talk
- Shot at Dawn Talk
- Land Train tours
- Special Forces Buggy Talk
- Tailor made tours
The NMA runs a number of events throughout the year, incluing trails, remembrance services for specific significant dates and Armed Forces Weekend. In 2024 alone, The National Memorial Arbortum is hosting a number of events to honour and remember D-Day 80.
Get in touch
Visit the National Memorial Arboretum website or get in touch with them by:
Telephone: 01283 245 100
Lines are open between 9am and 5pm
Email: info@thenma.org.uk
Address: National Memorial Arboretum, Croxall Road, Alrewas, Staffordshire, DE13 7AR
Volunteering at the Arboretum
The Arboretum has over 240 volunteers that all help make it such a great place to visit.
Roles include Front of House, Tour Guide, Retail and Catering, and Weekend Gardening Work.
The Arboretum provides its volunteers with:
- the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and experience
- training and advice from senior volunteers and external bodies
- uniform and a free parking pass, and
- discount on selected items in both the gift shop and restaurant, while travel expenses are reimbursed.
▌Find out more about volunteering with the National Memorial Arboretum.
Donating and Fundraising
Public support through donations and fundraising is vital to their future vision, and to ensure the Arboretum stays open and free to enter for all.
▌Find out more about donating to The National Memorial Arboretum.
▌Learn more about fundraising on behalf of the National Memorial Arboretum.
If you would like to make a donation to the National Memorial Arbotetum, you can do so through its Just Giving page. Each donation helps them continue their work of keeping memories alive and giving people a peaceful place to remember.
▌Make a donation to The National Memorial Arboretum.
You can also donate by:
Organising your own fundraising event can be a great way of supporting the National Memorial Arboretum by raising awareness and much-needed funds.
▌Find out more about fundraising for The National Memorial Arboretum.
Become a member of the National Memorial Arboretum Branch
The National Memorial Arboretum Branch meets at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire. The UK's year-round centre of Remembrance, the Arboretum is home to more than 360 memorials.
▌Learn more about the National Memorial Arboretum membership branch.
▌Explore more of RBL’s national branches.
Become a member
If you have more questions about RBL membership, we have more information resources to answer your questions.
▌Read our membership information on the Knowledge Base.
Watch the Short Film
Watch a short drone film overview of the Arboretum grounds to get a sneak peek into what you could explore on your visit.
▌Watch this short arial video of the National Memorial Arboretum on Youtube.
Getting to the Arboretum
Whether you're arriving by train, car, bus, bicycle or even canal boat, The National Arboretum's website provides information on how to get to the site.
▌Find out the best way of getting to the Arboretum from your location.
While the Arboretum is free to enter, they recommend booking parking tickets in advance to guarantee entry. Visitors who book their visit in advance will also get a discounted parking charge for the day of their visit.
The Armed Forces Memorial and the Role of Honour
The Armed Forces Memorial is the biggest memorial at the NMA and contains the names of members of the UK Armed Forces, Regular and Reserve, who have died on duty since 1948. In the centre is the Obelisk, which commemorates all who have died in Service, irrespective of cause or circumstance.
The Memorial was dedicated in 2007 and included almost 16,000 names. Each year, the Armed Forces Memorial Naming Panel considers the names of serving Service personnel who have died during the preceding year in order to determine those who meet the necessary criteria to be included on the Memorial. A service for families is held at the National Memorial Arboretum, usually in July, to commemorate those personnel.
There are a few eligibility criteria for having a loved one's name included on The Armed Forces Memorial. While those eligible are usually considered automatically every year, in exceptional circumstances, family members can request their loved ones’ names be honoured on the memorial.
There are a number of daily activities that take place at the NMA including the Armed Forces Memorial Talk. The talk is free to attend and is an opportunity to learn more about this moving monument and the symbolism in its design.
▌Find more information on the Armed Forces Memorial Talk and the other daily activities at the NMA.
The Armed Forces Memorial Roll of Honour is a digital record containing the names of all UK Armed Forces personnel who have died during their service, since 1948, regardless of the cause of death.
The Roll of Honour, therefore, contains the names of many individuals who do not meet the more specific criteria for inclusion on the Armed Forces Memorial itself. Names are added to the Roll of Honour by the Ministry of Defence Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) who are informed of all deaths in service.
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2018
The NMA has been crowned 'Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2018' at the national Visit England Awards for Excellence.
Visit England's judging criteria looks at the whole customer experience, covering facilities, features, access arrangements for all, customer service standards and service provision, quality of presentation of the site, staff and volunteers, interpretation, website, Tripadvisor ratings and social media.
A truly wonderful achievement, the award is a testament to the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of the whole NMA team and the strides they have made together to be ... the best!
More information on war graves and memorials
We provide information to help you find your loved one's service records:
- If they served before 1920, follow this link
- If they served after 1920, follow this link
▌Learn more about how you can get started on how tofind a loved one's military grave or memorial here.
▌Or, if you are looking for information onhow to trace friends and relatives, we have guidance on what resources might be helpful to you here.