Cookie Policy for English Gothic Heritage (GothicEngland.com)

Last Updated: October 26, 2023

This Cookie Policy explains how English Gothic Heritage ("we", "us", or "our"), operating the website GothicEngland.com, uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website. It is designed to help you understand what these technologies are, why we use them, and your rights to control our use of them.

This policy should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy, which provides further details on how we process personal data. By using GothicEngland.com, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this policy, unless you have disabled them in your browser settings.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the website owners. Cookies are typically stored on your device by your web browser.

Similar technologies include web beacons (also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs), local shared objects (Flash cookies), and browser fingerprinting, which perform similar functions. For the purpose of this policy, all such technologies are referred to as "cookies".

2. How and Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies for several essential purposes, which are categorized as follows:

2.1. Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.

2.2. Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to monitor its performance.

2.3. Functionality Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.

2.4. Targeting and Advertising Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

3. Detailed List of Cookies Used

The table below details the specific cookies we use on GothicEngland.com, their purpose, duration, and who sets them.

Cookie Name	Provider	Purpose	Duration	Type
cookie_consent	GothicEngland.com	Stores your cookie consent preferences.	1 year	Strictly Necessary
_ga	Google Analytics	Used to distinguish unique users.	2 years	Performance
_gid	Google Analytics	Used to distinguish unique users for a 24-hour period.	24 hours	Performance
_gat	Google Analytics	Used to throttle request rate.	1 minute	Performance
PHPSESSID	GothicEngland.com	Preserves user session state across page requests.	Session	Strictly Necessary
language_pref	GothicEngland.com	Remembers your preferred language setting.	1 year	Functionality
_fbp	Meta (Facebook)	Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products.	3 months	Targeting/Advertising

This list is subject to change as we update our services and integrate new functionality. We strive to keep this list as accurate and current as possible.

4. Third-Party Cookies and Services

We use services provided by third parties that may set cookies on your device when you visit our site. These third parties include:

• Google Analytics: For understanding how visitors engage with our site. You can learn more about Google's privacy practices and opt-out options at Google Analytics Opt-out.
• Social Media Platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter): For embedding content (like videos or feeds) and for sharing buttons. These platforms may use cookies to track your activity across the web.
• YouTube: For embedding videos on our pages. YouTube uses cookies to collect video viewing statistics and to personalise your viewing experience.
• Advertising Networks: To help us deliver relevant promotional content.

We do not have direct control over the cookies set by these third parties. We encourage you to review their respective privacy and cookie policies for detailed information.

5. Your Choices and Control Over Cookies

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise your cookie preferences in several ways:

5.1. Browser Controls

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. You can usually set your browser to refuse all cookies, to accept cookies only from trusted sites, or to alert you each time a website tries to place a cookie on your device. Please note that if you choose to block all cookies, you may not be able to access all or parts of our site, and some features may not function properly.

To learn more about how to manage cookies in popular browsers, please visit the following links:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Microsoft Edge

5.2. Consent Management Tool

When you first visit GothicEngland.com, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. This allows you to provide granular consent for different categories of cookies (except for Strictly Necessary cookies). You can revisit and change your preferences at any time by clicking on the "Cookie Settings" link, typically found in the website footer.

5.3. Third-Party Opt-Outs

For analytics and advertising cookies set by third parties, you can often opt-out directly via the third party's own website:

• Google Analytics: Browser Add-on to Opt-Out
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): Opt-Out Page
• Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): YourAdChoices Page

Please note that opting out is often cookie-based and will only apply to the specific browser and device you are using. If you use multiple browsers or devices, you will need to opt-out on each one.

6. Data Transfers and International Visitors

GothicEngland.com is based in the United Kingdom. However, some of the third-party service providers we use (such as Google) may be located in, or have servers in, countries outside the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA).

When your data is transferred to such countries, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by data protection laws, such as the UK GDPR. These safeguards may include the use of Standard Contractual Clauses approved by relevant authorities.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the information collected via cookies from loss, misuse, and unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no internet transmission is ever completely secure or error-free.

8. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our data practices. We will post the updated version on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.

9. Your Data Protection Rights

Under data protection law, depending on your location (such as if you are in the UK or EEA), you have rights including:

• Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
• Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate.
• Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to object to processing – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, or have questions about the personal data we hold collected via cookies, please contact us using the details below. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity.

10. Contact Us