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The Great Britain Guide

Zoos & aquariums · South West England

Monkey Sanctuary

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Monkey Sanctuary — zoo in Cornwall, England.

Monkey Sanctuary, zoos & aquariums in South West England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
3 h–5 h
Nearest railway station
Looe · 3.1 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Monkey Sanctuary is a zoo, wildlife park, or public aquarium in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1964. Address: PL13 1NZ. Wikidata describes it as: "zoo in Cornwall, England". Coordinates: 50.3654°, -4.4136°.

Photo gallery

Protected designations

  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cornwall

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

The Monkey Sanctuary was founded in 1964 by Len Williams, father of classical guitarist John Williams, as a cooperative to care for rescued woolly monkeys. Based in Looe, Cornwall, England, it was home to woolly monkeys descended from the original residents, a growing number of capuchin monkeys rescued from the British pet trade, many marmosets, and a small group of rescued macaques. A colony of rare lesser horseshoe bats live in the cellar of Murrayton House, a 19th-century building that is staff offices and accommodation for staff and volunteers. The Monkey Sanctuary is the flagship project of Wild Futures (UK registered Charity number 1102532). In 2025, the Sanctuary site Murrayton House was placed up for sale citing growing financial pressure.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Coordinates
50.3654, -4.4136
District
Cornwall
Parish
St. Martin-by-Looe
Postcode
PL13 1NZ
Parliamentary constituency
South East Cornwall
Established
1964
Nearest railway station
Looe3.1 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Monkey Sanctuary?
Monkey Sanctuary is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode PL13 1NZ), in the parish of St. Martin-by-Looe.
When was Monkey Sanctuary built?
Built or established in 1964.
Is Monkey Sanctuary a protected site?
Yes — Monkey Sanctuary is part of the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB).
How do I get to Monkey Sanctuary?
The nearest railway station is Looe, about 3.1 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PL13 1NZ.
How busy is Monkey Sanctuary?
Monkey Sanctuary draws around 30,000 visitors a year.