The National Memorial Arboretum is a place of tribute to all those who have served their country in war and peacetime. Set in 150 acres of wooded parkland, the Arboretum marked its 10th anniversary in 2011.
I paid a visit to this tranquil place of reflection for an article I was writing on Remembrance Sunday for Gridline, National Grid’s magazine for its grantors – landowners with the organisation’s pipelines or pylons on their land. I came away overwhelmed by the great sense of peace that’s created by the park, despite the fact that it attracts around 300,000 visitors every year.
The Arboretum is designed to be a living memorial, with 50,000 maturing trees set in woodland glades, wetland areas and wide-open spaces creating a variety of habitats for wildlife.
Visitors come to pay their respects to those who fought in the world wars, as well as in more recent conflicts. Massive white walls bear the engraved names of 16,000 servicemen and women who have been killed on duty or by terrorist attacks since 1945.
As the number of war veterans diminishes with each passing year, it feels important that there are reminders about the personal sacrifices made on our nation’s behalf. The Arboretum is currently building a Remembrance Learning Centre, which it hopes will communicate the importance of remembrance in a contemporary way. It will help people explore what remembrance means, why it is important and how its meaning changes for different generations.
For more information, visit www.thenma.org.uk