Privacy Statement
Last reviewed: 17 August 2026
This Privacy Statement explains how Wintershead Farm collects, uses and protects personal information when you use our website, make an enquiry, make a booking, stay with us, or contact us.
We aim to handle personal information clearly, carefully and responsibly.
Who we are
This website is operated by Wintershead Farm.
Wintershead Farm is operated by Barry Styles as a sole trader.
For privacy questions or data protection complaints, please contact:
Barry Styles
Email: info@wintershead.co.uk
For the purposes of data protection law, Wintershead Farm is the data controller for the personal information we collect and use directly.
What personal information we collect
Depending on how you contact us, make an enquiry, book with us or stay at Wintershead Farm, we may collect and use:
- your name;
- your email address;
- your phone number;
- your enquiry details;
- booking dates and stay details;
- cottage preference;
- lead guest details;
- payment status;
- accessibility, mobility or special requirement information, where provided;
- number of dogs staying;
- number of horses coming with guests;
- stabling or turnout requirements;
- correspondence with you by email or phone;
- website usage information, where cookies or analytics tools are used.
We do not intentionally collect more personal information than we need.
How we collect personal information
We may collect personal information when you:
- contact us directly by email or phone;
- submit the website contact form;
- submit a booking enquiry through the website or WP Booking System enquiry forms;
- make a booking manually by email or phone;
- provide dog, horse, stabling or accessibility information relevant to your stay;
- stay at Wintershead Farm;
- use our website.
How we use your personal information
We use personal information to:
- respond to enquiries;
- check availability;
- manage and confirm bookings;
- communicate with guests before, during and after a stay;
- keep booking records;
- manage deposits, balances and refunds;
- record dog or horse/stabling requirements where relevant;
- respond to questions, complaints or privacy requests;
- maintain website security and performance;
- understand how visitors use the website.
Our lawful bases for using personal information
We only use personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so.
These may include:
Contract
We use personal information where it is needed to respond to booking requests, manage bookings, take deposits and balances, provide accommodation and communicate with guests about their stay.
Legitimate interests
We may use personal information where it is reasonably necessary for running the business, responding to enquiries, keeping booking records, managing guest communication, understanding dog or horse/stabling requirements, and maintaining the website.
Legal obligation
We may need to keep certain information for legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or insurance purposes.
Consent
Where required, we rely on consent for non-essential cookies and optional uses of personal information.
Guest enquiries and correspondence
Guests may contact Wintershead Farm by direct email, phone, the website contact form, or WP Booking System enquiry forms.
Guest enquiry emails are kept in the business inbox and are usually kept for around three months if the person does not book.
The email inbox used for guest enquiries is accessed by Barry Styles.
Wintershead Farm does not use WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook Messenger, Instagram messages or other messaging platforms to communicate with guests.
Website contact form
When someone submits the website contact form, the enquiry is sent to the inbox.
Contact form submissions are not stored in the website admin area as well as being emailed.
The details provided through the contact form are used to respond to the enquiry and manage any follow-up communication.
WP Booking System and booking workflow
Booking enquiries may be submitted through WP Booking System enquiry forms.
All cottage booking enquiries are manually confirmed after submission. Bookings may also be taken manually by email or phone.
Wintershead Farm does not currently receive bookings through third-party booking platforms.
Guests provide lead guest details when making a booking. Guests may also provide accessibility, mobility or special requirement information where relevant to their stay.
Confirmed booking records are stored in email. The answer provided says “emails 1”, so the exact retention period should be clarified before publishing this section. Suggested wording, if this means one year, would be:
Confirmed booking records are stored in email and are usually kept for around one year.
Wintershead Farm does not keep records of cancelled bookings, declined bookings, no-shows, guest issues or complaints unless there is a specific reason to do so.
Dog and horse information
Where relevant to a booking, Wintershead Farm may collect:
- the number of dogs staying;
- the number of horses coming with guests;
- stabling or turnout requirements.
This information is stored in email and is usually kept for around one year.
This information is used only to manage the booking and prepare appropriately for the stay.
Payments, deposits and refunds
The website payment timing information has been confirmed as correct.
Deposits and balances are usually paid by:
- bank transfer;
- cheque.
Wintershead Farm does not collect or store full card/payment details.
Payment records are stored in bank statements.
Refunds are processed by bank transfer.
If security deposits or damage deposits are used, the details should be confirmed and this section should be updated. If they are not used, suggested wording would be:
Wintershead Farm does not routinely take or hold separate security deposits or damage deposits.
Guest records
Wintershead Farm does not keep a guest spreadsheet, guest list, manual diary or other guest record outside WP Booking System.
Guest preferences and repeat stay information may be remembered personally, but separate written notes about guest preferences, repeat guests, previous stays, cottage preferences, dog details, horse/stabling requirements or accessibility needs are not kept.
Marketing
Wintershead Farm does not currently send marketing emails, newsletters, special offers or promotional updates to guests or website subscribers.
Guest enquiry and booking details are not used for marketing unless this changes in future and a clear opt-in process is introduced.
If marketing emails are introduced in future, this Privacy Statement should be updated and appropriate opt-in and unsubscribe processes should be put in place.
Reviews, guest comments, photos and videos
Wintershead Farm may receive guest comments or reviews directly from guests.
The answers confirm that there are no guest books and that guest photos/videos are not used.
If guest reviews or comments are published on the website, Wintershead Farm should only use the information the guest is happy to be shown, such as first name, initials or anonymous wording.
If identifiable guest photos, videos or more detailed testimonials are ever used in future, permission should be obtained first.
Sharing guest information
Wintershead Farm has confirmed that guest information is not shared with third parties.
If this changes in future, for example if guest details are shared with cleaners, housekeepers, maintenance people, stabling providers, accountants, suppliers or emergency contacts, this Privacy Statement should be updated.
CCTV, Wi-Fi and on-site information
Wintershead Farm has confirmed that CCTV is not used.
Guest Wi-Fi may be provided. If the Wi-Fi/router/provider does not collect guest names, email addresses, device details or usage logs, suggested wording would be:
Guest Wi-Fi is provided, but Wintershead Farm does not collect guest names, email addresses, device details or browsing/usage logs through the Wi-Fi.
If any Wi-Fi provider does collect guest data, this section should be amended.
Wintershead Farm does not collect vehicle registrations unless this changes in future.
Cookies, analytics and website tools
The website may use cookies and similar technologies.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to work properly. Others may help us understand how visitors use the website or support features such as enquiry forms, availability calendars, security tools or embedded website features.
Where required, non-essential cookies should only be used with your consent.
Please see our Cookie Policy for more information about cookies and how to manage your choices.
How long we keep personal information
We only keep personal information for as long as reasonably needed.
As a general guide:
- Enquiry emails from people who do not book are usually kept for around three months.
- Dog and horse/stabling information is usually kept in email for around one year.
- Confirmed booking records are stored in email. The exact retention period should be clarified.
- Payment records may appear in bank statements and are kept in line with normal accounting/tax record requirements.
- Old emails are periodically deleted.
- Paper records are not used.
When personal information is no longer needed, we will delete it, securely dispose of it, or anonymise it where appropriate.
How we protect personal information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.
This includes limiting access to guest enquiry emails and booking records, avoiding unnecessary data collection, not storing full card/payment details, and deleting old emails when no longer needed.
Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights over your personal information, including the right to:
- be informed about how your personal information is used;
- ask for a copy of personal information held about you;
- ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
- ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances;
- ask us to restrict how we use your information;
- object to certain uses of your information;
- withdraw consent where we rely on consent;
- ask for your information to be transferred in certain circumstances;
- complain about how your information has been handled.
To make a request, please contact:
We may need to confirm your identity before responding to a request.
Privacy questions and complaints
If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact:
Barry Styles
Email: info@wintershead.co.uk
If you make a data protection complaint, we will acknowledge it within 30 days, look into the issue, keep you informed where appropriate, and provide an outcome without undue delay.
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Changes to this Privacy Statement
We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time if our website, booking process, payment methods, business practices, guest data handling, cookies or legal requirements change.
The latest version will be published on this website.
Cookie Policy
Effective date: August 17, 2026
Last updated: August 17, 2026
What are cookies?
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, the types of cookies we use (i.e., the information we collect using cookies and how that information is used), and how to manage your cookie settings.
Cookies are small text files used to store small pieces of information. They are stored on your device when a website loads in your browser. These cookies help ensure that the website functions properly, enhance security, provide a better user experience, and analyse performance to identify what works and where improvements are needed.
How do we use cookies?
Like most online services, our website uses both first-party and third-party cookies for various purposes. First-party cookies are primarily necessary for the website to function properly and do not collect any personally identifiable data.
The third-party cookies used on our website primarily help us understand how the website performs, track how you interact with it, keep our services secure, deliver relevant advertisements, and enhance your overall user experience while improving the speed of your future interactions with our website.
Types of cookies we use
Necessary
Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| wpEmojiSettingsSupports | session | WordPress sets this cookie when a user interacts with emojis on a WordPress site. It helps determine if the user’s browser can display emojis properly. |
| cookieyes-* | 1 year | CookieYes sets this cookie for consent solution management. |
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| _ga_* | 1 year 1 month 4 days | Google Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views. |
| _ga | 1 year 1 month 4 days | Google Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site’s analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors. |
Manage cookie preferences
You can modify your cookie settings anytime by clicking the ‘Consent Preferences’ button above. This will allow you to revisit the cookie consent banner and update your preferences or withdraw your consent immediately.
Additionally, different browsers offer various methods to block and delete cookies used by websites. You can adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Below are links to support documents on how to manage and delete cookies in major web browsers.
Chrome: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050
Safari: https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/safari/sfri11471/mac
Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-delete-cookie-files-in-internet-explorer-bca9446f-d873-78de-77ba-d42645fa52fc
If you are using a different web browser, please refer to its official support documentation.