Pippa Middleton and her husband, hedge fund manager James Matthews, have been unsuccessful in their bid to prevent the public from using a footpath that crosses their £15 million country estate in Berkshire. The couple had argued that the path posed safety risks to their family.
The path in question runs through Barton Court, a Grade I-listed property near Kintbury. Local residents have used the route as a safer alternative to Station Road, a narrow road with blind turns, heavy traffic, and no pavement, to reach the village.
Following the purchase of the estate for £15 million in 2022, Middleton and Matthews installed electric gates and signage declaring 'Private: No Public Access' and 'No Trespassing' at either end of the path. This action contrasted with the practices of the previous owner, Habitat founder Sir Terence Conran, who locals claim kept the gates open for public use.
Thirty-five residents, supported by The Ramblers' Association, appealed to West Berkshire Council to have the lane officially declared a public right of way. However, the planning inspector, Ken Taylor, ruled that while privacy and security concerns were noted, there was insufficient evidence that the path had been freely used by walkers for the required 20 years to establish a public right of way. He overturned its previous designation.
A spokesperson for Middleton and Matthews stated, "We are grateful for the careful consideration given to the facts and appreciate the time invested by all parties."
Local Liberal Democrat councillor Tony Vickers expressed surprise and disappointment with the decision. "After attending almost all the inquiry, I could not see any relevant argument put by Mr Matthews' supporters," Vickers said.
During the inquiry, locals had claimed that Middleton was leveraging her sister, Catherine, Princess of Wales's, royal status to assert a need for special treatment regarding privacy and security. One resident was quoted as saying, "They're not even the proper Royal Family."
Neil Pike, the local footpath secretary for ramblers, told the inquiry that Mill Lane was "intrinsic" to life in Kintbury and that he had never known it to be closed. He argued that removing public access would leave Station Road as the only alternative, which he deemed unsafe. He questioned why the current owners sought to close a path used by the public for decades.
Representing Matthews, barrister Paul Wilmshurst argued in a written submission that declaring the path a public right of way would create "very real practical [and] privacy difficulties and security issues." He stated that the route had always been known and reputed as the private drive to Barton Court.
Matthews himself told the public inquiry that the "high public profile" of his family necessitated a higher level of security, leading to the installation of the electric security gate before they moved in.
Lady Victoria Conran, Sir Terence Conran's widow, supported Matthews's position. She stated that during her 30 years living at Barton Court, she rarely observed anyone on the driveway who should not have been there and never saw organized groups of ramblers using it.
The planning inspector noted evidence of a "Barton Court Private Road" sign on the path dating back to at least 1983, and by June 2020, a sign read "Barton Court Estate, No Through Road." He concluded that the "low levels of use" did not demonstrate a continuous public assertion of a right to use it as a footpath.