Although I do not live far from Dartmoor zoo I have never been and it was only when my boyfriend suggested he needed to go due to it being related to some uni work that we went. Usually when I think of Zoo's, this one doesn't tend to pop into my head as it is not that well publicised, although I think this is about to change with the release of 'we bought a zoo'. ===What it is?=== Dartmoor zoo was originally called Dartmoor Wildlife park and if any of you have heard of the film 'we bought a zoo' you may know of the story behind the zoo. Basically the Mee family bought the zoo back in 2006 which I find unusual as I have never come across a zoo ...  Read the complete review

About the Zoo You may have heard about Dartmoor Zoo, through the programme 'Ben's Zoo' which aired on the BBC in 2007. It followed how Benjamin Mee and his family sold their family home and bought a run down Zoo on the edge of Dartmoor that was in desperate need on someone to give it a new lease of life. The Mee family bought the Zoo in 2006 when there were only a handful of ex keepers spending their own money to feed and keep alive the remaining animals at the Zoo, including a number of big cats and wolves. The Mee family moved into the mansion on the site, that was also in desperate need of attention with little money to start with and ...  Read the complete review

My 2 children and I arrived at the zoo just before 10am. Coming from Plymouth I found the signs to the zoo not great and only found it easier as I had done a virtual drive on google maps steet view before leaving the house. Once paying (we went on single parent tuesday which is a great idea as it saves you over £4 on the adult ticket price) we got given our map. The map was a little disappointing as it was just an A4 map printed of the computer which contained no information about any of the animals or facilities and didn't even list the feeding times or events happening during the day. Walking round the zoo I found some areas to be very shabby and ...  Read the complete review

Dartmoor Zoo is next to the village of Sparkwell, just off the A38 outside Plymouth. It's well-signposted from the A38, with brown wildlife park signs. The road there narrows to single-lane at times, (which is fine by me usually, but it was lined by rather solid looking walls that I didn't want to investigate in too close a detail. I prefer hedges!). *** Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo *** Finding the zoo car-park was no problem, and there was plenty of space to park on the day we went. (Disabled car-parking is up the hill beside the restaurant.) We went across the the kiosk and paid in. The three of us cost about £28. Currently the zoo is working ...  Read the complete review

We have just ome back from the zoo. Unfortunately it is very badly signposted (if at all) and the restaurant was closed, offering only cold drinks, coffe and chocolat bars! What a let down! We drove all the way from East Devon for that. Sorry, but it is not like this that you will encourage the good will of visitors.I mus say, however, the animals all looked very happy, relaxed, even asleep. So at least you are doing the right thing as far as they are concerned. Well done for that!