PRIVACY POLICY (UK)

Last updated: 6 September 2026

Outdoor Exploring Family is a UK-based outdoor information website and the operator of Discover Teesdale. This Privacy Policy explains how information is handled when you visit or use Outdoor Exploring Family, Discover Teesdale, contact us, submit information to us or use services linked from our websites. It applies to outdoorexploringfamily.com, outdoorexploringfamily.co.uk, discoverteesdale.com, the Discover Teesdale web app and associated services that we operate. The .co.uk and Discover Teesdale domains may redirect visitors to content hosted elsewhere within our services. Our separate merchandise website, outdoorexploringfamilyshop.com, uses Teemill technology for e-commerce and order fulfilment and is also subject to the privacy information and terms displayed by Teemill.

When you simply browse our websites, our website, hosting, security and infrastructure providers may process limited technical information required to deliver and protect the service. This may include an IP address, browser and device information, operating system, pages or resources requested, referring information, approximate location derived from technical information, security information and technical logs. Our main website uses Webador and Discover Teesdale uses Cloudflare services for parts of its hosting, infrastructure, security and delivery. Ordinary links to our social-media pages or groups, including Facebook, do not themselves load an embedded social-media feed, pixel or similar technology within Outdoor Exploring Family or Discover Teesdale. If you choose to follow an external social-media link, the relevant platform is responsible for the cookies and similar technologies used on its own service. If we introduce embedded social-media content, advertising pixels or similar technologies in future, we will update this information and our consent controls where required. We may also use website statistics and analytics, including Webador statistics and Google Analytics where enabled, to understand matters such as visits, page views, popular content, general device information and how visitors reach or use the website. Where UK law requires consent for non-essential analytics cookies or similar technologies, those technologies should only be used after the required consent has been obtained. We do not intentionally provide analytics services with names, private email addresses or payment-card details.

Discover Teesdale uses third-party mapping services, including OpenStreetMap and MapTiler, to provide map tiles and optional map layers. When map content is requested, those providers may receive technical request information such as an IP address, browser or device information and details of the map tile or layer requested. Discover Teesdale may also keep aggregate operational counters, such as the total number of app installations. These counters are used to understand and operate the service and are not designed to identify individual users.

If you contact us by email or through another communication facility, we process the information you choose to provide, which may include your name, email address, message and any documents, photographs or other material you send us. We use it to read and respond to your enquiry, deal with your request and retain an appropriate record where necessary. Discover Teesdale also allows businesses, venues, accommodation providers, event organisers and others to submit information for possible inclusion in the service. A submission may contain a name, email address, information about the listing, website or social-media links, photographs and other material voluntarily provided. A submitter's private name and email address are collected so that we can administer the submission and contact them if there is a question, correction or problem with the listing. We do not use those private submission details to place people on a marketing list and do not sell them. Information deliberately provided for public display, such as a business or venue name, public contact information, description, image, website address or social-media link, may be published within Discover Teesdale. Private administrative contact details are not normally published unless they have specifically been supplied as information intended for public display.

Where a Discover Teesdale submission includes a map pin or location intended for public display, that location may be published as part of the listing. Images uploaded directly to Discover Teesdale may be stored using Cloudflare storage services and may be resized or converted for suitable display within the service. When a listing or event is removed or is no longer reasonably required, associated uploaded material and private administrative information may also be removed when it is no longer necessary to retain it.

The Discover Teesdale Near Me feature may request permission from your browser or device to use your location so that nearby places or your position can be displayed. You do not have to grant this permission to use the main content of Discover Teesdale and permission can be withdrawn through your browser or device settings. We do not use precise device location for marketing or personalised advertising.

We generally rely on our legitimate interests where processing is reasonably necessary to operate and protect Outdoor Exploring Family and Discover Teesdale, respond to communications, administer submitted listings, maintain accurate content, prevent misuse and improve our services. Where consent is required, including for certain non-essential cookies or device permissions, we rely on consent and you can withdraw that consent. We may also process information where necessary to comply with a legal obligation or to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

For UK data-protection purposes, the data controller is Mr Ben Bright trading as Outdoor Exploring Family, 15, DL12 8LQ, United Kingdom. The contact email is info@outdoorexploringfamily.com. Outdoor Exploring Family is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and the ICO registration reference is ZC229496.

We do not sell personal information. Information may be processed by companies that provide services necessary for Outdoor Exploring Family and Discover Teesdale to operate, including Webador, Cloudflare, Google where relevant analytics services are enabled, email and communications providers and other necessary infrastructure or security providers. Some of those providers operate internationally, so information may sometimes be processed outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, the relevant lawful transfer arrangements or safeguards apply.

Some pages contain affiliate links. If you follow an affiliate link, the retailer, service or affiliate platform may receive information about the referral and may use cookies, referral identifiers or similar technologies on its own website so that a purchase or signup can be attributed to us. Outdoor Exploring Family may receive commission from qualifying transactions. We do not receive your payment-card information merely because you follow an affiliate link, and the external retailer or provider is responsible for explaining its own privacy practices.

Our merchandise store at outdoorexploringfamilyshop.com uses the Teemill platform. When a customer orders directly through a Teemill store, Teemill takes the customer payment and provides the systems used for production and fulfilment. Teemill states that payment-card information does not pass through its own server because payments are taken in the browser through its payment provider, and that customer information required for matters such as delivery is processed within its platform. Purchases through that store are therefore also subject to Teemill's own privacy information, checkout terms and terms of sale.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Ordinary email correspondence and enquiries will normally be retained for up to 12 months after our last relevant contact unless there is a genuine legal, complaint, security or other reason to retain them for longer. Private contact information connected with a Discover Teesdale listing may be retained while the listing remains active because we may need to contact the person responsible for it, and will normally be removed when it is no longer reasonably required. Technical, security and analytics information is retained according to the settings and reasonable retention periods used by the relevant service provider. We periodically review information and remove information that is no longer required.

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you rights relating to personal information about you, including rights of access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection and data portability. Where processing depends on consent you may withdraw that consent. Not every right applies to every type of processing. Where we rely on legitimate interests you may object to the processing in circumstances provided by data-protection law. To make a data-protection request, email info@outdoorexploringfamily.com.

If you believe we have handled your personal information incorrectly you can also make a data-protection complaint directly to us at info@outdoorexploringfamily.com. Please state that the message concerns a data-protection complaint. We will acknowledge a data-protection complaint within 30 days, make appropriate enquiries without undue delay, keep you appropriately informed and communicate the outcome without undue delay. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. These complaint-handling duties are now in force for organisations handling personal data.

Outdoor Exploring Family and Discover Teesdale contain information that may be useful to people of different ages, but our listing submission facilities are not intended to collect personal information directly from children. Children should not submit business, event, accommodation or other listings or private contact information without the involvement of a parent, guardian or responsible adult. If we become aware that unnecessary personal information relating to a child has been submitted, we will take reasonable steps to remove it.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures and use established service providers to help protect information, although no internet service, website, app or email system can guarantee absolute security. Our websites also contain links to third-party websites and services. Once you follow an external link, the operator of that service is responsible for its own privacy practices. We may update this Privacy Policy when our websites, Discover Teesdale, the services we use or applicable law change. The latest version will be published on this page and the date above will be updated.

Discover Teesdale may also provide ordinary links to Outdoor Exploring Family social-media pages and to the Discover Teesdale Facebook group. These links do not themselves embed Facebook content or Facebook tracking technology within Discover Teesdale. If you choose to follow a social-media link, the relevant platform may process information about your visit and may use cookies or similar technologies in accordance with its own privacy and cookie information.

TERMS OF USE

Last updated: 6 September 2026

Outdoor Exploring Family and Discover Teesdale provide walking guides, maps, photographs, GPX files, historical and heritage information, local visitor information, business and event information, interactive tools and other material for general information, education and inspiration. We take reasonable care when researching and preparing our content, but use of the website does not create a professional adviser, guide, instructor, landowner, rescue-service or official-authority relationship between us and the user. Information on the website should not be treated as a substitute for current information from an appropriate official source where that information is important to safety, access, travel or another significant decision.

Outdoor places and walking routes can change at any time. Footpaths may be diverted, obstructed, damaged or temporarily closed; access arrangements and permissions can change; bridges, gates, stiles, stepping stones and other structures may become damaged or unavailable; and weather, flooding, river levels, tides, snow, ice, erosion, vegetation, livestock, farming, forestry, shooting and other activities can materially alter conditions after a route has been researched or visited. Parking arrangements, public transport, toilets, cafés, attractions, opening hours, prices and other facilities may also change without notice. Distances, walking times, elevation figures, difficulty descriptions, maps, route lines, coordinates, directions and GPX files are therefore guidance rather than guarantees. Digital maps and GPS data can contain inaccuracies and a route shown online may differ from the lawful or safe route available on the ground. Current official signs, lawful restrictions, closure notices and instructions from the relevant authority or landowner take precedence over information displayed on Outdoor Exploring Family or Discover Teesdale.

Before starting an outdoor activity you should consider the current weather, access information, official warnings, daylight, terrain and other conditions and decide whether the route or location is suitable for your own circumstances, experience, mobility, fitness, equipment and navigation ability. You remain responsible for your own preparation, decisions and navigation and for responding appropriately to the conditions you encounter. Where a route involves particular hazards such as tides, rivers, steep ground, roads, livestock or seasonal restrictions, visitors should obtain current information before setting out. We cannot guarantee that a route or location will remain accessible, safe or suitable simply because it is shown on the website.

Our history, heritage, archaeology, geology, biography, folklore and local-interest content is provided for general information and education. We take reasonable care with research and use reputable or primary sources where appropriate, but historical evidence is not always complete or definitive. Records can conflict, contain mistakes, be reinterpreted or be superseded by later research. We therefore do not guarantee that every historical date, detail, interpretation or attribution is complete or free from error. Where something is understood to be folklore, legend, local tradition or uncertain, we aim to make that clear. Historical material on our websites is not professional archaeological, conservation, legal, planning, land-ownership or academic advice. Anyone requiring information for a formal academic, legal, planning, archaeological, conservation, property or other professional purpose should verify it independently against the relevant original records or competent authority. We welcome genuine corrections supported by reliable evidence.

Discover Teesdale may display businesses, events, accommodation, attractions, services and other information submitted by third parties. Appearance on Discover Teesdale is not a guarantee, certification or endorsement of a business, property, event, activity or provider. Information can become out of date and visitors should confirm important details directly with the relevant provider before travelling, booking or spending money. We may correct, edit, reject, suspend or remove a listing where we reasonably consider this necessary for accuracy, safety, legality, quality or operation of the service, and we do not guarantee that any listing or feature will remain available permanently.

Anyone submitting text, photographs, logos, links or other material to Discover Teesdale confirms that they have the right or appropriate permission to provide that material and allow us to use it for the submitted listing. Submitted material must not knowingly infringe another person's copyright, trade mark, privacy or other rights and must not be unlawful, defamatory, fraudulent or deliberately misleading. By submitting material for publication you give Outdoor Exploring Family permission to reproduce, display, resize, crop, format and make reasonable editorial changes to that material for the purpose of operating and promoting the relevant listing and Discover Teesdale. You continue to own any rights you already hold in your original material. We may remove submitted material if we reasonably believe there is a legal, rights, safety, accuracy or operational reason to do so.

Some links on the website are affiliate links. If a user buys or signs up through one of those links Outdoor Exploring Family may receive commission, normally at no additional cost to the user. Affiliate relationships are disclosed on the relevant content where required. The contract for any product or service purchased from an external retailer is between the customer and that retailer or provider and is subject to its terms, availability, returns policy and other conditions. Our separate merchandise store at outdoorexploringfamilyshop.com uses Teemill technology. For direct Teemill-store purchases, Teemill takes the customer's payment and provides production, fulfilment and associated e-commerce systems, and purchases are subject to the terms displayed through that store.

Our websites contain links to third-party websites because they may be useful to visitors. We do not control those websites and are not responsible for their content, security, availability, prices, policies or subsequent changes. A link does not mean that we approve or guarantee every statement, product or service provided by the linked organisation.

Unless stated otherwise, original text, photographs, graphics and other original material created by Outdoor Exploring Family are protected by copyright and other applicable intellectual-property rights. Third-party maps, logos, photographs, embedded content and other third-party material remain the property of their respective owners and are used subject to the applicable permissions, licences or terms. You may link to our pages and make reasonable quotations where permitted by law with appropriate acknowledgement, but substantial reproduction, republication or commercial copying of our original guides, photographs or other content requires our permission unless the law expressly permits otherwise.

We may change, correct, update, remove, suspend or withdraw pages, maps, routes, listings, features or other parts of Outdoor Exploring Family or Discover Teesdale at any time and we do not guarantee continuous or permanent availability. We may temporarily or permanently take the Discover Teesdale app or other services offline. We are not responsible for temporary service interruption arising from maintenance, internet or hosting failures, third-party services, security incidents or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. In particular, nothing excludes or restricts liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability where exclusion or restriction would be unlawful. Subject to those protections and to the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for losses caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, losses which were not reasonably foreseeable, or losses arising because a user unreasonably relied on information that was clearly capable of changing or failed to take reasonable precautions or follow current official information. Where the website is used for business purposes, we exclude liability for loss of profit, business, revenue, opportunity or anticipated savings to the fullest extent permitted by law. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, but nothing in them removes any mandatory consumer rights or any jurisdictional rights that applicable UK consumer law gives you.

Listings and event submissions to Discover Teesdale are provided free of charge unless we clearly state otherwise. Discover Teesdale does not take accommodation or venue bookings, sell event tickets, process customer payments or charge booking fees, and we do not receive commission from bookings made through ordinary business, accommodation or event links displayed within Discover Teesdale. Visitors who follow those links are directed to the website, booking page, ticket page or social-media service provided by the relevant third party. Any booking, purchase, ticket, payment, cancellation, refund, fee or other transaction is between the visitor and the relevant third-party provider and is subject to that provider's own terms.