Pippa Middleton and her husband, hedge fund manager James Matthews, have been unsuccessful in their bid to have a public footpath closed on their £15 million country estate in Berkshire. The couple had argued that the path, which crosses their Grade I-listed Barton Court estate, posed risks to their family's safety.
However, a government-appointed planning inspector, Ken Taylor, ruled that while privacy and security concerns were noted, there was not sufficient proof that the path had been freely used by the public for the legally required 20-year period. The inspector overturned the designation of the path as a public right of way.
The path, familiar to locals in neighbouring Kintbury, provided an alternative to walking on the narrow Station Road, which has blind turns, heavy traffic, and no pavement. Locals claimed that the previous owner, Sir Terence Conran, had always left the gates to the path open, understanding it as a public passageway.
After purchasing the estate in 2022, Middleton and Matthews installed electric gates and signage stating 'Private: No Public Access' and 'No Trespassing'. Thirty-five residents, supported by The Ramblers' Association, appealed to West Berkshire Council to have the lane declared a public right of way.
Matthews contended that the path had not been freely used for the required 20 years. His barrister argued that declaring the path a public right of way would cause "very real practical [and] privacy difficulties and security issues," stating the route had historically been known as the private drive to Barton Court. Matthews also cited the "high public profile" of his family, necessitating a higher level of security.
Lady Victoria Conran, Sir Terence Conran's widow, testified that during her 30 years living at Barton Court, she observed very few people using the driveway improperly and never saw organized groups of ramblers. The planning inspector noted evidence of a "Barton Court Private Road" sign dating back to at least 1983, and by June 2020, a sign read "Barton Court Estate, No Through Road".
Neil Pike, a local footpath secretary for ramblers, stated at the inquiry that Mill Lane was "intrinsic" to life in Kintbury and had been used by the walking public for decades. He expressed concern that its removal from public use would leave Station Road as the only alternative, which he deemed unsafe.
A spokeswoman for the couple stated they were "grateful for the careful consideration given to the facts and appreciate the time invested by all parties." Tony Vickers, a local Liberal Democrat councillor, expressed surprise and disappointment with the inspector's decision to side with the landowner.