Sparkwell is a small village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon. Historically it was part of Haytor Hundred.[1] In 2021 the parish had a population of 1425.
Its local Anglican church is All Saints Church, Sparkwell.[2] Its local non-conformist church is Lee Mill Congregational Church, which is affiliated to the EFCC.[3]
Dartmoor Zoological Park is located on the outskirts of the village.[4] The true story of Benjamin Mee’s acquisition of the zoo inspired his book We Bought a Zoo, which was later adapted into a film starring Matt Damon.
The Hemerdon Mine is located in the parish.
On 28 December 1966 the parish was renamed from “Plympton St Mary” to “Sparkwell”.[5]
References
- ^ Community page
- ^ Details of parish
- ^ Lee Mill Congregational Church, near Ivybridge
- ^ “Dartmoor Zoo, family fun days out with the kids in Devon – Dartmoor Zoo”. www.dartmoorzoo.org.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ “Plympton Registration District”. UKBMD. Retrieved 31 October 2025.