Taking The Land Train at The National Memorial Arboretum

PR Sample – we were invited to take the Land Train at the NMA this is also an activity we have paid to do.

We are lucky to live just up the road from the National Memorial Arboretum and I’ve previously spoken about going to their festive Illuminated Arboretum.

A few months ago we were lucky enough to be invited to try out their land train experience for the first time.

The National Memorial Arboretum

A UK-registered charity the NMA sits on a 150-acre site on the edge of the National Forest and is home to over 400 memorials nestled among 25,000 trees.

Offering a range of activities such as their Stick Man trail which has been updated this year and is perfect for younger visitors. To guided walks, memorial talks, buggy tours, exhibitions and of course the land train.

They even have a restaurant that offers homemade meals and snacks at a very affordable price.

The Land Train

If you are looking for an introduction to the arboretum and to learn a little more about some of the memorials within the grounds then the land train might be a good tour to start with.

Offering a 50-minute trip around the site and includes a pre-recorded talk about what the memorials are in honour of as well as some fascinating facts about how they have been made and the reasoning behind how some were created.

For instance, some of the memorials include time capsules or have something specific to the occasion or group they are in aid of. For example, the Twin Towers memorial contains debris from ground zero.

Is the Land Train Accessible?

The Land Train has been created to make sure it is accessible, which is a priority of the NMA across the board.

On each train, at least one carriage has been widened to accommodate a wheelchair. This space has been made to fit a manual chair, however some power chairs will fit as well.

Access is via the driver fitting on a ramp to wheel up, while steps are also on hand for those who may need them too.

What We Thought Of The Land Train Tour

As I said we’ve actually done this tour a couple of times now, with my parents and Ash’s. It was a bit of a last-minute decision to go with Ash’s parents as it was raining and as such it was a good way to show them some of the site without getting wet.

The land train calls one side of the train red and the other green – this means no matter if you are facing forward or backward you know which side to look out of.

I think it is a great introduction to the NMA offering interesting insights into some of the memorials.

Things like trees being kept low so wheelchair users can also easily pick their fruit, and pathways shaped to spell out letters or create a closed area, particularly interested me. As well as learning about how items which have been bought home from war in some cases have been incorporated into the memorials.

I would personally suggest the land train is a great introduction to the National Memorial Arboretum and is something everyone should think about doing upon visiting.

However, if you want to know more about specific memorials then ringing and booking a tailor-made tour might work better for you.

The Land Train Tours cost;
£7.50 adults
£3.75 children (6 – 16 years)
Under 5s are free
£19.00 Family (max. 2 adults, max. 5 persons)

Entrance to The National Memorial Arboretum is free and parking costs £4 when booked in advance via their website.

Competition

While I was last at The National Memorial Arboretum I picked up a Circular & Co reusable drinks bottle and a pack of my favourite white chocolate buttons from Military Chef to giveaway!

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is enter using the gleam widget below!

Win a Reusable Bottle and White Chocolate Buttons.

Good Luck!

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