Privacy Policy

This page explains how personal information is handled when you visit ngokelly.com. I believe in being straightforward about these things — if you’re trusting me with your time and attention, you deserve to know what happens with any data that passes through this site.

What information is collected

Most of your visit is anonymous. I don’t require you to create an account or hand over personal details just to read about historic houses.

There are a few situations where information may be gathered:

Newsletter sign-up. If you choose to join the mailing list for new stories and restoration features, I’ll ask for your email address. That’s it. No name required unless you choose to give one.
Comments. Should comments become available on articles, you’ll likely provide a name and email address. That information is used solely to display your comment and to contact you if there’s a genuine reason related to it.
Analytics. Like most websites, this one uses a privacy-focused analytics tool to understand which articles resonate with readers — for example, whether a piece on Georgian joinery draws more interest than one on Victorian brickwork. This gives me a rough sense of traffic, popular pages, and broad geographic regions. It does not identify you personally.
Server logs. The web server automatically records standard technical details (IP address, browser type, referring page). These logs are rotated and deleted periodically; I rarely look at them unless there’s a technical problem to diagnose.

How your information is used

Any information you voluntarily provide is used only for the purpose you’d expect:

Email addresses collected for the newsletter are used exclusively to send you the stories, essays, and restoration updates you signed up for. You can unsubscribe at any time with one click, and your address is removed immediately from the active list.
If you write to me directly via the contact form or email, I’ll use your address to reply. I don’t add it to a mailing list unless you’ve explicitly asked to be added.
Analytics data helps me understand what you find valuable. It shapes editorial decisions — for instance, if readers show sustained interest in conservation techniques, I’ll commission more interviews with specialists. The data is never used to build individual profiles or for advertising.

I don’t sell, rent, or trade personal information. I don’t share it with third parties for their marketing purposes. The only exception would be if required by law — and in a historic architecture blog, that scenario seems remote.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device. This site uses them sparingly:

Essential cookies might be set if you leave a comment, so your browser remembers your name and email for next time (purely for your convenience).
Analytics cookies are used to count visits and see which pages are read. I’ve configured the analytics to anonymise IP addresses and to respect “Do Not Track” signals where possible.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings. The site will work fine without them — you might just need to re-enter your details if you comment again.

Third-party services

I rely on a small number of external services to run the site effectively:

A newsletter provider handles email delivery and subscription management. Their privacy practices are aligned with data protection regulations, and I’ve chosen them because they treat subscriber data responsibly.
A web analytics service processes anonymised traffic data. I’ve limited the data collection to the minimum needed for editorial insight.
If I ever embed content from other sites (for example, a historic photograph from a museum archive), that embedded content may behave as if you visited the source site. I try to minimise such embeds, but when they appear, their own privacy policies apply.

How long information is kept

I don’t hoard data. If you unsubscribe from the newsletter, your email address is removed from the active list promptly. Analytics data is retained in aggregate form indefinitely so I can observe long-term trends in what readers care about, but individual visitor records are purged after a reasonable period — typically 14 to 26 months, depending on the tool. Server logs are deleted within a few weeks.

If you’ve commented on a post, your comment and the name you provided remain visible as part of the public conversation unless you ask me to remove them.

Your rights

You have the right to:

Ask what personal data I hold about you.
Request that I correct or delete that data.
Withdraw consent for newsletter emails at any time (every email includes an unsubscribe link).
Object to certain types of processing — though the processing here is minimal by design.

To exercise any of these rights, just get in touch using the contact details below. I’ll respond within a reasonable timeframe, and I won’t ask for excessive proof of identity — a straightforward conversation is usually enough.

Children’s privacy

This site is not directed at children under 13, and I don’t knowingly collect information from anyone in that age group. The subject matter — architectural history, conservation techniques, estate histories — tends to attract an older audience, but if I ever discover I’ve inadvertently gathered a child’s data, I’ll delete it immediately.

Changes to this policy

If anything significant changes in how data is handled, I’ll update this page and note the revision date at the bottom. I won’t make retroactive changes that weaken your privacy without giving you a clear heads-up — but frankly, the guiding principle will remain: collect as little as possible, use it honestly, and never exploit the trust you place in this space.

Contact

If you have questions about this policy, or about any aspect of how your information is treated, you can write to me directly:

Nora G. O’Kelly
Email: nora [at] ngokelly.com

I read every message personally. It might take a few days to reply if I’m out visiting a crumbling manor or deep in a county archive, but I will respond.

Last updated: June 2025