Planning your visit
Set in 60 hectares of grounds, the Arboretum is filled with interesting and unusual features. A little planning will help you get the best out of your visit.
 Visitor reads memorial plaque for Operation Market Garden |
Location (more details)
The Arboretum is located between Birmingham and Derby, just off the A38 north of Lichfield and south of Burton on Trent. You will see brown signs from the A38 directing you to the A513 junction signposted for Tamworth, where you will find the Arboretum. The address is Croxall Road, Alrewas, Staffordshire DE13 7AR. Click here for a map and directions including bus connections.
The Arboretum is open every day except Christmas Day between 9am and 5pm. Please note that the FEPOW Museum will be closed on Thursday 9 July.
Admission Charges
You are welcome to visit the Arboretum free of charge. Donations are welcomed to help us with the maintenance and upkeep of the site. Visitors arriving independently by car should be aware that a parking charge of £2.00 per day will be introduced during the summer.
Building Works
As part of the exciting developments to the site, there will be some disruption to our regular visitor services from Tuesday 26th May until the end of October when work is due to be completed. Access will be via a temporary reception area off the car park near the Millennium Chapel, clearly signposted. Access to the Gift Shop and Arbour Café will remain unaffected for the time being. Health & Safety aspects have already been addressed by the Project Manager who will respond to any further queries. We hope this will not cause any inconvenience to our visitors.
Remembrance
A daily act of remembrance takes place in the Millennium Chapel at 11:00 every day of the year incorporating Last Post, silence and Reveille. Seating in the Chapel is limited to 120 and may not be reserved. Occasionally private services take place which will restrict access to our visitors.
For those wishing to pay their own tribute at a memorial, poppy crosses and poppy sprays are available all year round from the Visitor Centre and wreaths may be obtained with two weeks’ notice. In the Long Gallery, there is the facility to light a candle in remembrance.
The Chapel is situated close to the Visitor Centre and is the only place in the country where the Act of Remembrance is observed daily at 11am. Chapel seating is limited to 120 and is on a first-come-first-served basis. However, the service is relayed to the surrounding area via a public address system.
There is a large designated area for car and coach parking. Visitors arriving independently by car should be aware that a charge of £2.00 per day will be introduced during the summer. Coach Operators should always book their arrival times with the NMA on 01283 792333 to avoid disappointment.
Facilities for People with Disabilities
Accessibility - there is level access to the Visitor Centre where disabled toilet facilities are available. There are also firm level paths giving good access to much of the site.
Mobility - for less mobile visitors, wheelchairs and electric scooters are available on loan from visitor centre. To ensure availability they should be booked in advance.
Assistance dogs accompanying their handlers are welcome at this site.
|
The Arboretum is developing a community car park for the use of visitors who have dogs with them and wish to walk them, under close control, along the riverbank and public footpaths. Please check this website for progress with this. Dogs, with the exception of working assistance dogs, should not be exercised in areas set aside for dedications to individuals or associations. This includes the Armed Forces Memorial. |
 A rabbit in the grounds of the Arboretum (photo by Jean Williams) |
Dogs are also not permitted inside the buildings but we are delighted to provide bowls of water near to the Visitor Centre for them.
Please note that the Arboretum is a young site with small trees which means that there is no shade on the main car park and little shade on the community car park.
Toilets, with facilities for people with disabilities and baby changing, are situated within the Visitor Centre. If nursing mothers would prefer privacy, please ask a member of staff.
Guided tours of varying length can be arranged for which there is no fixed charge, but donations appreciated. Alternatively, visitors may choose to purchase a self-guide information sheet to explore any of the three established routes, which are of varying length and interest.
Our comprehensive guide book (£7.00) and detailed site map (£2.50) are available from the Visitor Centre on arrival.
We sincerely apologise for to all who may have been offended by an incorrect statement that appeared in our guide book regarding the Memorial to the Royal Air Force Boy Entrants. We have now been made aware of our mistake and have taken immediate action to have the correct information added to copies.
Ceremonies & Wedding Receptions
The Arboretum aims to offer a comprehensive tailor-made package, and will assist and guide you throughout the planning of the event to ensure that your day is truly special. Please click here for further details.
If you wish to stay in the area, the following local organisations can supply information on tourist accommodation.
Visit Lichfield (www.visitlichfield.co.uk) Tel: +44 (0)1543 412112
The National Forest (www.nationalforest.org) Tel: +44 (0)1283 551211
Tamworth Borough Council tourist information (www.visittamworth.co.uk) Tel: 01827 709581
East Staffordshire tourist information (www.enjoyeaststaffs.co.uk) Tel: 01283 508111/508112
