James Matthews, the hedge fund manager husband of Pippa Middleton, has argued that his family's 'high-public profile' justifies preventing ramblers from using a footpath on their £15 million estate. Matthews and the sister of the Princess of Wales reside at the Grade I-listed Barton Court in Berkshire with their three children. They are currently engaged in a legal battle with Britain's walking charity over access to a path on their 145-acre property.
Local residents express frustration
Residents of the picturesque village of Kintbury have accused the couple of being 'arrogant' and 'alienating the community' by attempting to close off a path that some claim has been used for generations. The path, known as Mill Lane, was reportedly left open by the estate's former owner, the late Habitat founder Sir Terence Conran, on the understanding that it could serve as a public passageway. However, the royal-related couple, who purchased the estate from Sir Terence in 2022, insist it has never been open to the public and cite security and privacy concerns.
Upon moving in, they installed electric gates and signs reading 'Private: No Public Access' and 'No Trespassing' at both ends of the path. Thirty-five residents, supported by The Ramblers' Association, appealed to West Berkshire Council to have the lane declared a public right of way, but Ms Middleton and Mr Matthews have resisted. A six-day Planning Inspectorate hearing is underway in Kintbury, after which the council will decide whether the road is private or public land.
Security concerns cited
In a witness statement, Mr Matthews explained that keeping the pathway open would have security 'implications' for his family. The former racing driver, who has attended the first three days of the hearing without his wife, wrote: 'There are implications for my family, due to their high public profile, which means there is a need for a higher level of security than would otherwise be the case if the circumstances were different.' He added that he installed an electric security gate on the Drive before moving in, which is kept shut except for expected visits. He noted that no one from the Parish Council or village contacted them about the gate at the time.
Many villagers claim they have used the footpath for decades, as it allows them to avoid the dangerous Station Road, which lacks a pavement. However, others, including a former estate resident who flew from Australia to support Mr Matthews, said walkers have used the route only extremely rarely. Mr Matthews admitted his 'first hand knowledge' of the route is 'limited', stating: 'Unlike the many witnesses that I am calling to give evidence, I cannot for example give evidence about how it has been used over the decades past.' He noted that in the three and a half years since buying the house, he has seen only a handful of people walking along the Drive, and each time he informed them it was not a public footpath.
Community impact
Tony Vickers, a local Liberal Democrat councillor, told the Daily Mail that the attempted closure has 'alienated' the village. 'They've upset an awful lot of people,' he said. 'I don't understand their motive for closing the route. They could easily get more security outside the house rather than closing the path through the estate and alienating the village. When rich and famous people move here they have the opportunity to get involved with the community, they don't need to upset people.'
However, Max Gallagher, the son of Lady Victoria Conran, appeared at Kintbury Coronation Hall on Friday in support of the Matthews' claim. Mr Gallagher, who used to live in Barton Court, said there has always been a sign that 'stated private or words to that effect.' He added: 'I have no recollection, throughout the time I was regularly at Barton Court, of seeing many people walking on the drive.' Mr Gallagher lived at Barton Court for a couple of months between 2022 and 2023 and did not see the drive being used by walkers during that period.
His involvement came a day after Lady Victoria, the wife of the late Sir Terence, entered the row. Lady Victoria, who lived on the estate from 1992 until 2022, told the inquiry on Thursday she only saw a single person, a woman with a pram, walking the route in her decades residing at the property, and she instructed her estate manager to warn the woman she was on private land.
Another former resident, Charles Hill, who grew up in Spinney House on the estate, was urged by Mr Matthews and Ms Middleton to travel from Sydney to attend the hearing. He said it would be an 'injustice' if the drive was registered as a public footpath, adding that during his time living there, he did not remember the private drive being used frequently by members of the public.
But other residents claim they have frequently used the pathway for years, with one accusing the couple of forcing ramblers to walk through the 'terrifying' Station Road. She described Mill Lane as 'essential' and said it has been a 'huge relief' to use it. Trevor Coles, who has lived in Kintbury since 1954, recalled using the path as a cycle route as a teenager and said it has been an 'immensely valuable option for exercise, mental health and sheer joy of the countryside.' He claimed past owners of Barton Court have 'always respected the authenticity and value of this walk way' and that only since the Matthews' moved in has access been discussed.
A spokesperson for Ms Middleton and Mr Matthews disputed claims that Sir Terence allowed locals to use Mill Lane as a right of way, stating: 'For as long as records exist, there has never been a footpath or public right of way on the land currently under discussion. For decades past there has always been signage pointing out this is the driveway to a private property, with no public access. There are other clearly marked footpaths nearby. Contrary to media reports, the previous owners at the property from as far back as the 1970s did not allow public access to the land under discussion. It has always been private property.'
