Visit to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas

Poems from a Child

Monday 20^th July

Armed Forces Memorial

Basra Memorial Wall

Bear Memorial

Pegasus  Bridge Memorial

We are staying put today and are going to walk to the National Memorial Arboretum which is about a 20 minute walk but we have to cross the A38 so hopefully we can get across there.  We walked down through the village to the A38 and there was a safety island we could cross at, it was quite hairy getting across but we made it.  We also had to cross a railway line but fortunately it wasn't a mainline so over there and then we were at the Arboretum.

Parachute Regiment

Hand At Peace

The Arboretum is set in more than 150 acres of formal gardens, wildflower meadows and maturing woodland.  It was first opened to the public in 2001 and contains more than 350 memorials for military and civilian organisations and associations together with tributes for individuals.

NHS Tribute

Horses Memorial

Our Picnic Spot

Child Evacuees

We went into the visitor centre where we picked up a map and then we set off into the grounds.  There was a tribute to the NHS near to the visitor centre.

Polish Armed Forces

They have a huge memorial in the centre dedicated to the Armed Forces.  It is done in a circle with tall trees planted all around and it is on a hill so you go up steps to it.  It is very moving with all the thousands of names listed for all the conflicts up to the present day.

There was a memorial for the 49th West Riding and Midland Infantry Division with a huge bear on the top and there was two poems written by a girl when she was 9 and 11 years old, they are very moving and incredible that they are written by someone so young.

Christmas Truce Memorial

Railway Memorial

We followed the paths around and looked at the many memorials including the Basra Memorial Wall, Polish Armed Forces Memorial, The Parachute Regiment and lots of others.

The most moving memorial was the one to the Shot at Dawn, so very sad as lot of them were sick and couldn't fight but their illnesses weren't recognised and so they were shot.

Lewis Collins Plaque

Butterfly Mosiac

It was then lunchtime so we found a bench near the Shot at Dawn Memorial with lots of lovely trees dotted around and had our picnic.  After lunch, we carried on around the grounds.  The River Tame runs through the grounds so we had a walk along there.

Tank Regiment

The River Tame

There was a lovely garden dedicated to the Allied Special Armed Forces and there was a plaque there for Lewis Collins of Bodie and Doyle fame who completed 21 SAS Selection as a civilian volunteer.

Shot at Dawn Memorial

Special Forces Garden

There were many memorials in different sections, the 1914 Christmas Truce memorial representing when English and German troops sung carols, played football together, exchanged gifts and chatted together then went back to the trenches and the next day carried on fighting.

We then made our way back to the Visitors Centre and had a coffee and cake from the cafe and sat in the courtyard.

The Not Forgotten Assoc.

D-Day Landings

We then walked back to the boat, safely crossing the A38 and back through the village.  We stopped at the Butchers to get some bacon for tomorrow’s brekkie.

Veterinary Memorial

We really enjoyed our second visit to the National Memorial Arboretum.  It is a very beautiful moving place, really well laid out with lots of benches and seats around so you can sit and contemplate and all the memorials are so well done and looked after, and we look forward to visiting again when we are next in this area.