The National Memorial Arboretum

Sited in the heart of the National Forest, with 50,000 maturing trees, The Arboretum’s 150 acres of wooded parkland are a beautiful and living tribute to acknowledge the personal sacrifices made by the Armed Forces and civil services of this country. It is a spiritually uplifting place to honour those who have served, and continue to serve, our nation in many different ways.

Visitors from all walks of life, around 300,000 per year, include Service personnel, veterans, students of all ages, groups and individuals. Most of these come for a day of quiet to experience the sense of national pride, to learn about trees, the memorials and their surroundings.

Over 200 special events are held annually. The Act of Remembrance, including a Silence, is observed daily in the Millennium Chapel. The Arboretum is also home to the striking Armed Forces Memorial, commemorating those killed on duty or as a result of terrorism from the end of the Second World War to the current conflict in Afghanistan.

Shot at Dawn

Of nearly 300 dedicated memorials, one of the Arboretum’s most poignant is the Shot at Dawn Memorial, erected in memory of the 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers executed after courts-martial for cowardice and desertion during World War I. The memorial portrays a young British soldier blindfolded and tied to a stake before a firing squad.

To find out more on the National Memorial Arboretum click here.