National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas

Whilst not directly connected to canals, the National Memorial Arboretum, http://www.thenma.org.uk/, is only a stones throw from the Trent and Mersey Canal, and the River Trent flows through the grounds, so in my view, it counts as a canal orientated site.



I took the old folks up there this afternoon for a couple of hours, just to get them out in the sun and fresh air, and we could easily have spent four or six hours there. It was really interesting and anyone passing through Alrewas on the canal should put it on their must visit list. Entry is free, the car park costs £2, blue badge holders park for free, basically the car park charge is to raise money to tarmac the car park.



I was not aware the site has been open for the last ten years and is gradually evolving. What really amazed me was the scope of the memorials, we are not just talking about WW2, there are memorials before and after that, covering everything from the Boer War to the recent troubles in Ulster.

What really amazed me was the Armed Forces Memorial which lists every serviceman who has died in the service of our country since 1945. The inscriptions are current up to 2007, but what really worried me was the vast amount of space available for future inscriptions.

All in all, it is well worth a visit.