The National Memorial Arboretum
Image: The largest memorial at the Arboretum, dedicated by Queen Elizabeth in 2007, to all members of the Armed Forces killed on duty or through terrorist action after the Second World War.
The National Memorial Arboretum is a site of remembrance over 150 acres at Alrewas in Staffordshire. Opened in 2001, it now has over 400 memorials and 25,000 trees, and attracts 300,000 visitors a year. From the Armed Forces and Emergency Services to civilian organisations that supported the nation in times of need, people from all walks of life are represented by the memorials. Here is a regular programme of evens throughout the year. Indoors, there is an exhibition hall with a permanent display ‘Landscapes of Life’ which explores the concept of Remembrance, looking at why it is an important human need spanning thousands of years.
As one panel says: “Remembrance has its own language. It is filled with symbols, imagery and motifs that began long ago and become stronger as they are repeated and echoed through time. Remembrance is personal.”
The Staffordshire Regiment memorial, dedicated in 2015. The Staffords are an amalgamation of two regiments; the South Staffordshire formed in 1705 and the North Staffordshire formed in 1756. The obelisk is made from local Red Hollington Stone – called ‘Staffordshire Stone’ – which was also used to build Lichfield Cathedral. It was designed and built by veterans from the regiment.
Memorial to Sikh soldiers, cast in bronze on granite plinth; unveiled in 2015 in honour of the 124,245 Sikhs of the British Indian Army who served in the First World War. Sikhs made up around 22% of the British Indian Army in action by the end of he war, despite being just 1% of the Indian population at that time. The memorial was funded through a Kickstarter campaign.
