Leave the main gate of the Arboretum and turn right along the pavement of Croxall Road. At the end, after crossing the railway line, turn left and follow the A38 pavement up to the roundabout junction. Turn right, cross the bridge, and take the second turning on the right (Fox Lane) through the centre of Alrewas.
At the junction at the end go straight over and continue down Post Office Road, past The Crown pub. At the end turn left on to Church Road, cross the bridge and turn immediately right on to the canal towpath. Now follow this route for 1.25 miles (2km), across several footbridges and under two bridges until you reach Wychnor Lock.
Cross Bridge 43 to switch to the opposite bank and continue beneath an old road bridge. Immediately after the next bridge (number 41) go right, up a grassy bank and over a low metal barrier. Turn right and cross the canal via the road bridge. On the other side turn right for a footpath through trees that cuts the corner. Now turn right and cross another road bridge back over the canal and A38 and follow the road until the bend, where you turn right for the lane to Catholme.
At the T-junction turn right and follow the wide track over the railway. On the far side go right by the public footpath sign, opposite Barton Quarry entrance. Follow this broad, straight track with the railway on your right until you reach a blue painted footbridge across the River Tame.
Cross the bridge and on the far side turn right to go beneath the railway viaduct. Immediately turn left and walk along a narrow grassy strip. At the end turn right on to a gravel track that follows the river bank around the edge of the Arboretum, past plantings and memorials. Continue along this route until, approaching a road bridge, the track swings right and returns to the start.
Terrain
- Firm tracks, canal towpath, pavement, no stiles
Landscape
- Flat river valley
Dog friendliness
- Off lead on towpath and tracks, but on lead on streets and in the National Memorial Arboretum, where you must stick to the described route
Parking
- National Memorial Arboretum pay and display car park (open summer 10am–5pm, winter 10am–4pm)
The National Memorial Arboretum describes itself as the UK’s living Centre of Remembrance, a 150-acre (60ha) site of maturing woodland next to the River Tame south of Burton upon Trent that is now home to over 400 dedicated memorials. The centrepiece is the Armed Forces Memorial, a simple but... stunning piece of architecture whose walls contain the names of every member of the Armed Forces killed since World War II. There are memorials remembering not just specific squadrons and battleships but also the likes of the Merchant Navy Convoys and Army Dog Unit, as well as marking the particular contribution of Commonwealth forces. Each memorial is subtly different, whether in the artistic design of a statue or tree planting, while some incorporate living willow and even picnic areas. However, there are plenty of memorials scattered around the large site that have no military connection but are every bit as poignant. They include memorials to civil services such as Police and Ambulance personnel, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, as well as the Quakers, YMCA and those killed in the Twin Towers tragedy. There’s also the Children’s Woodland, where individual trees have been sponsored by families and schools and dedicated to babies and children who have passed away. Near the visitor centre is the Millennium Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness, the only place in the UK where the Act of Remembrance is observed every day of the year. Since the site was first developed in 1997, over 50,000 trees have been planted and the Arboretum is beginning to take shape as a ‘living tribute’. In many cases the type of tree has been deliberately chosen. For instance, The Beat is an avenue of Horse chestnuts, funded by every Police force in the UK, since the first truncheons were made from chestnut and several of the trees along the avenue were grown from conkers taken from the home of Sir Robert Peel, founder of the Police Force. In another area, the Golden Grove celebrates the lives of couples who married at the end of World War II and who commemorated their 50th anniversary by dedicating trees. All the trees in the Grove have either golden leaves, stems or fruits such as the golden stemmed ash. The National Memorial Arboretum is open daily and entrance is free. There are paths and trails aplenty and you can wander about discovering the woodland memorials at random, or else buy an official guide from the visitor centre to help you find your way about.
Staffordshire features lofty moors, deep dales and tremendous views of both. Further south are the six sprawling towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent, which historically have had such an impact on Staffordshire’s fortunes, not to mention its culture and countryside.
Leave the main gate of the Arboretum and turn right along the pavement of Croxall Road. At the end, after crossing the railway line, turn left and follow the A38 pavement up to the roundabout junction. Turn right, cross the bridge, and take the second turning on the right (Fox Lane) through the centre of Alrewas.
1 of 5
At the junction at the end go straight over and continue down Post Office Road, past The Crown pub. At the end turn left on to Church Road, cross the bridge and turn immediately right on to the canal towpath. Now follow this route for 1.25 miles (2km), across several footbridges and under two bridges until you reach Wychnor Lock.
2 of 5
Cross Bridge 43 to switch to the opposite bank and continue beneath an old road bridge. Immediately after the next bridge (number 41) go right, up a grassy bank and over a low metal barrier. Turn right and cross the canal via the road bridge. On the other side turn right for a footpath through trees that cuts the corner. Now turn right and cross another road bridge back over the canal and A38 and follow the road until the bend, where you turn right for the lane to Catholme.
3 of 5
At the T-junction turn right and follow the wide track over the railway. On the far side go right by the public footpath sign, opposite Barton Quarry entrance. Follow this broad, straight track with the railway on your right until you reach a blue painted footbridge across the River Tame.
4 of 5
Cross the bridge and on the far side turn right to go beneath the railway viaduct. Immediately turn left and walk along a narrow grassy strip. At the end turn right on to a gravel track that follows the river bank around the edge of the Arboretum, past plantings and memorials. Continue along this route until, approaching a road bridge, the track swings right and returns to the start.
Terrain
- Firm tracks, canal towpath, pavement, no stiles
Landscape
- Flat river valley
Dog friendliness
- Off lead on towpath and tracks, but on lead on streets and in the National Memorial Arboretum, where you must stick to the described route
Parking
- National Memorial Arboretum pay and display car park (open summer 10am–5pm, winter 10am–4pm)
The National Memorial Arboretum describes itself as the UK’s living Centre of Remembrance, a 150-acre (60ha) site of maturing woodland next to the River Tame south of Burton upon Trent that is now home to over 400 dedicated memorials. The centrepiece is the Armed Forces Memorial, a simple but... stunning piece of architecture whose walls contain the names of every member of the Armed Forces killed since World War II. There are memorials remembering not just specific squadrons and battleships but also the likes of the Merchant Navy Convoys and Army Dog Unit, as well as marking the particular contribution of Commonwealth forces. Each memorial is subtly different, whether in the artistic design of a statue or tree planting, while some incorporate living willow and even picnic areas. However, there are plenty of memorials scattered around the large site that have no military connection but are every bit as poignant. They include memorials to civil services such as Police and Ambulance personnel, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, as well as the Quakers, YMCA and those killed in the Twin Towers tragedy. There’s also the Children’s Woodland, where individual trees have been sponsored by families and schools and dedicated to babies and children who have passed away. Near the visitor centre is the Millennium Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness, the only place in the UK where the Act of Remembrance is observed every day of the year. Since the site was first developed in 1997, over 50,000 trees have been planted and the Arboretum is beginning to take shape as a ‘living tribute’. In many cases the type of tree has been deliberately chosen. For instance, The Beat is an avenue of Horse chestnuts, funded by every Police force in the UK, since the first truncheons were made from chestnut and several of the trees along the avenue were grown from conkers taken from the home of Sir Robert Peel, founder of the Police Force. In another area, the Golden Grove celebrates the lives of couples who married at the end of World War II and who commemorated their 50th anniversary by dedicating trees. All the trees in the Grove have either golden leaves, stems or fruits such as the golden stemmed ash. The National Memorial Arboretum is open daily and entrance is free. There are paths and trails aplenty and you can wander about discovering the woodland memorials at random, or else buy an official guide from the visitor centre to help you find your way about.
Staffordshire features lofty moors, deep dales and tremendous views of both. Further south are the six sprawling towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent, which historically have had such an impact on Staffordshire’s fortunes, not to mention its culture and countryside.
