Pippa Middleton and her husband set for legal battle as locals argue 'residents are being put at risk' by ban

Svar Nanan-Sen
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:41:44 +0000

Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews face a legal battle over access to a lane crossing their Berkshire estate, with local residents accusing the couple of endangering public safety.

The dispute centres on Mill Lane at Barton Court, where the hedge fund manager installed barriers shortly after acquiring the 145-acre property near Kintbury.

West Berkshire council has classified the route as a public right of way following an application from the Ramblers' Association, which argued villagers had freely walked the path for more than two decades.

Mr Matthews is now contesting this designation at a Planning Inspectorate hearing scheduled for next month, setting up a confrontation between the estate owners and campaigners defending traditional walking routes.

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The 50-year-old financier acquired the Georgian mansion for £15.5 million in 2022, purchasing the 32-room property situated along the River Kennet from the estate of designer Sir Terence Conran.

Electric gates appeared approximately 70 metres from Mill Lane's eastern entrance within weeks of the sale completing, blocking walkers from reaching an established footpath beyond.

Warning notices declaring "No Trespassing" and "Private: No Public Access" were erected, while the main entrance gate was also shut.

In 2024, Mr Matthews filed a highway declaration notice asserting that Mill Lane held no public access rights.

Villagers claim Conran, who died in 2000 aged 88, never prevented people from using the route, leaving gates open and covered in ivy.

Local campaigners maintain the lane has served as a vital pedestrian connection between outlying areas and Kintbury village, providing access to the 12th-century St Mary's Church.

Eugene Futcher, chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, said: "We have accounts of people having unfettered public access in the Sixties and the use probably goes back generations with people from other villages walking to Kintbury."

The Ramblers' Association argues the closure forces pedestrians onto Station Road, a narrow country lane lacking pavements or verges to protect them from traffic.

"It is a safe way to get to and from the village, so walkers are put at risk if they have to use the road," Futcher added.

Some residents report using the route on hundreds of occasions annually over many years.

Futcher suggested the motivation behind restricting access appeared to be maintaining privacy, stating: "Presumably they wanted to deter walkers from using the public footpath to keep their privacy."

He noted that Conran had taken no steps to discourage public use and observed that "feelings are running quite high in the village."

Kintbury parish council meetings revealed contrasting experiences among residents, with some stating they had never walked Mill Lane due to existing "private road" signage, while others confirmed regular use spanning many years.

The parish council ultimately voted in favour of recognising the lane as a right of way.

Mill Lane connects to a raised footpath known locally as the Causeway, which remains passable even when adjacent fields flood.

GB News has approached Mr Matthews, the Barton Court Estate, the Ramblers Association and West Berkshire Council for comment.