Last updated: 10 October 2026
This policy explains what personal data Ancient Dispatch (“we”, “us”) collects when you use ancientdispatch.com, why, and what your rights are under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
Who is responsible
Ancient Dispatch is the data controller for this website. You can reach us about anything in this policy through our contact page.
What we collect
- Messages you send us. If you use the contact form, we receive your name, email address and message. We use them only to read and reply to your message.
- Technical data. Like almost every website, our hosting provider’s servers record basic information such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested. This is used to keep the site running and secure.
- Analytics (only with your consent). If you accept analytics cookies, we use Google Analytics to understand which pages are read and how visitors find us. We look at this in aggregate; we do not try to identify individual visitors.
- Advertising and affiliate cookies (only with your consent). If we show adverts (for example through Google AdSense) or affiliate links (for example to Amazon UK), those companies may set cookies to measure clicks and purchases and, if you allow it, to personalise adverts.
We do not sell your personal data. We do not run accounts or comments on this site, and we do not knowingly collect data from children.
Our legal bases
- Replying to your messages: our legitimate interest in answering readers.
- Server logs and security: our legitimate interest in running a safe, working website.
- Analytics, advertising and affiliate cookies: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
Cookies
Strictly necessary cookies, such as the one that remembers your cookie choices, are set without asking because the site needs them. All other cookies (analytics, advertising and affiliate tracking) are off until you choose to allow them in our cookie banner. You can change your mind at any time through the cookie settings option shown on the site, or by clearing cookies in your browser. A full, up-to-date list of the cookies we use is shown in our cookie banner settings.
Who we share data with
We use a small number of service providers, who process data on our behalf or as independent controllers under their own policies:
- Hostinger, our web host, which stores the site and its server logs.
- Google (Analytics, and AdSense if we run adverts), only if you consent.
- Amazon (the Amazon Associates programme), if you click an affiliate link and have allowed affiliate cookies.
Some of these providers may process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where that happens, we rely on the safeguards recognised under UK law, such as UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement and Addendum.
How long we keep it
We keep contact form messages for up to 12 months after our last exchange with you, then delete them, unless we need them longer to deal with a complaint. Analytics data is kept for the shortest retention period Google Analytics allows us to set. Server logs are kept by our host for a limited period for security purposes.
Your rights
You have the right to ask for a copy of your personal data, to have it corrected or deleted, to restrict or object to how we use it, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time. To use any of these rights, contact us through our contact page. We will reply within one month.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk. We would appreciate the chance to put things right first.
Affiliate links and adverts
Some pages contain affiliate links, and we may show adverts in future. As an Amazon Associate, Ancient Dispatch earns from qualifying purchases. See our affiliate disclosure for details.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we use personal data, for example when we switch on adverts or a newsletter, we will update this page and the date at the top.