Pippa Middleton has been accused of leveraging her sister's royal status to justify banning ramblers from a footpath on the country estate she shares with her husband, James Matthews. As reported last month, Ms Middleton and her hedge fund manager spouse are at odds with Britain's walking charity over access to a path at Grade I-listed Barton Court in Berkshire.
Local Concerns Over Safety
The 145-acre estate is familiar to locals in neighbouring Kintbury, who have used its thoroughfare as a safe alternative to walking on narrow Station Road, which features blind turns, heavy traffic, and no pavement. Mill Lane connects the country road with a causeway known locally as The Avenue, leading to Kintbury via a railway bridge and a scenic riverside path.
Residents claim the gates of Mill Lane were always left open by the estate's previous owner, the late Habitat founder Sir Terence Conran, on the understanding it served as a public passageway. However, after purchasing the estate for £15 million in 2022, Ms Middleton and Mr Matthews—heir to a Scottish feudal title—installed electric gates and signs reading 'Private: No Public Access' and 'No Trespassing' at both ends of the path.
Legal Battle Unfolds
Thirty-five residents, supported by The Ramblers' Association, appealed to West Berkshire Council to have the lane declared a public right of way. Ms Middleton and her husband have pushed back, with a Planning Inspectorate hearing beginning in the village hall on Wednesday. Mr Matthews attended, seeking to argue that security and privacy concerns should prevail. He lives on the estate with Ms Middleton and their three children.
Some locals have accused the sister of the Princess of Wales of using her sibling's royal status to suggest special treatment due to privacy needs. One angry local told the Mail: 'They're not even the proper Royal Family.' Samuel Robins, a lifelong resident of nearby Little Wawcott, said he had used the footpath for years without challenge, stating: 'I can state categorically that I have never been told to stop and turn back. It is difficult to see what security and privacy issues are caused.'
Tony Vickers, a local Liberal Democrat councillor, acknowledged he had never used Mill Lane as it was not a designated public path but understood locals preferred it to walking on the main road. However, Paul Wilmshurst, the barrister representing Mr Matthews, argued in a written submission that declaring the path a public right of way would 'cause very real practical [and] privacy difficulties and security issues.'
He added: 'The route is over land, which, at all material times, has formed and has had the local reputation as being the private drive to the house at Barton Court.' Anthony Stansfield, a life-long Kintbury resident, supported this view, stating: 'I have never met the new owners. But I can quite understand their concerns about this.'
Legal Framework
It is reported that Lady Victoria Conran, Sir Terence's widow, will give evidence in favour of Mr Matthews and Ms Middleton. However, Ken Taylor, the Government-appointed planning inspector, noted that questions of privacy and security are outside the scope of the inquiry, suggesting Ms Middleton's royal connections will hold no sway. The decision will be based on the law regarding public rights of passage.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, a private path can be claimed as a public right of way if the public has had 20 years of 'unfettered access' prior. Mr Wilmshurst contended this was not the case, as the rail bridge on the Avenue was closed for six months in 2016 for replacement, and the estate's gates were locked around eight years ago after being damaged by a lorry.
Community Reactions
Last month, West Berkshire Ramblers chair Eugene Futcher told the Mail on Sunday that closing Mill Lane puts the public at risk. 'People have used it for a very long time—certainly since the 1960s. Taking it away will be inconvenient, especially when walking is so important to mental health. It will force people on to the main road, which is very dangerous. There is no footpath or verge. The paths were never closed under Conran—he actively encouraged people to use them.'
This is not the first time the couple have upset locals: Mr Matthews' 50th birthday party last September featured a Spitfire display, upsetting local dogs, and was allegedly noisy until 1.30am. A spokesperson for Ms Middleton and Mr Matthews denied claims that Sir Terence Conran allowed public access, 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 from as far back as the 1970s did not allow public access to the land under discussion. It has always been private property.'
