Monkey Sanctuary
Animal sanctuary in Cornwall, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Monkey Sanctuary was a sanctuary founded in 1964 by Len Williams, father of classical guitarist John Williams,[2][3] as a cooperative to care for rescued woolly monkeys. Based in Looe, Cornwall, it was home to woolly monkeys descended from the original residents, capuchin monkeys rescued from the British pet trade,[4] marmosets, and a small group of macaques.[5]
| The Monkey Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
| |
 Interactive map of The Monkey Sanctuary | |
| 50.3654°N 4.4136°W | |
| Date opened | 1964 |
| Date closed | 2026 |
| Location | Looe, Cornwall, England |
| No. of animals | 30[1] |
| No. of species | 5[1] |
| Owner | Wild Futures |
| Director | Sarah Hanson |
| Website | www |
A colony of rare lesser horseshoe bats live in the cellar of Murrayton House, a 19th-century building that was used for offices and for accommodation for staff and volunteers.
After a period as a workers' cooperative, the Monkey Sanctuary attained charitable status in 2004, named The Monkey Sanctuary Trust.[6]
In 2025, the Sanctuary site Murrayton House was placed up for sale citing growing financial pressure.[7]
In August 2026, the final and complete closure of The Monkey Sanctuary was announced due to structural instability of the house and site, failure to secure a buyer, and the charity running out of money.[8]
