With today being Remembrance Day, it’s only right that we honour that by listing the top memorial gardens that we know of. Places of reflection, places to honour the lost and places to remember.
Each has its own character, its own allure and reason to visit, especially on the 11th of November. If you’re enjoying an autumn break in one of our fantastic holiday cottages and are in the area, we encourage you to brave the weather and visit.
National Memorial Arboretum
The National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, Staffordshire is our national shrine to the fallen. It is a wonderful place that manages to balance relevance, beauty and memory into a single location. It’s an amazing place to visit at any time of year, but autumn is definitely a highlight.
Tower of London sea of poppies
The Tower of London sea of poppies is an amazing sight and one everyone should visit if they can. The Queen loved it when she visited last month and everyone who has seen it since has said the same. Spending a few minutes there while visiting the capital is well worth your time.
Palace Barracks Memorial Garden
The Palace Barracks Memorial Garden is outside Holywood in Northern Ireland. A quiet corner of the base has been turned into a garden of reflection and remembrance. Given that Northern Ireland has had its own troubles, the garden has a dual purpose, to remember the fallen of all conflicts.
Royal British Legion Remembrance Garden
The Royal British Legion Remembrance Garden in Royal Wooton Basset, Wiltshire is a poignant garden as the town used to be where service personnel were repatriated from Afghanistan. The garden has been created to honour the fallen from all conflicts and it well worth a visit if you’re in one of our holiday cottages in Wiltshire.
Lichfield Garden of Remembrance
The Lichfield Garden of Remembrance is a lovely little garden opened in 1920 to remember the fallen. Located next to Minster Pool within sight of the cathedral, it’s a nice, relaxing place to contemplate and remember. Lovely any time of year, it really comes alive during autumn.
There are hundreds of memorial gardens or remembrance locations across the country. Almost every town and city has one and there are hundreds of others in villages across the country. Each offers the respect due to those who gave their all and made that ultimate sacrifice.
If you’re staying in one of our holiday cottages this week, we suggest making a trip to one of the thousands of remembrance gardens, even for a couple of minutes. It’s the least we can all do.