Fury grows as locals clash with James Matthews and Pippa Middleton over a blocked Berkshire footpath, with safety fears rising and campaigners warning it’s part of a wider access crisis
Kate’s sister Pippa is at the centre of a local dispute(Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
A bitter row is brewing in the Berkshire countryside, and this time, it’s a royal-adjacent dispute that’s left locals fuming.
Residents in the village of Kintbury have hit out after a long-used walking route was suddenly shut off near a luxury estate owned by James Matthews – the husband of Pippa Middleton and brother-in-law to Catherine, Princess of Wales.
At the heart of the dispute is Mill Lane, a quiet access route locals say they’ve used for decades to reach nearby footpaths, the village centre and St Mary’s Church. The lane runs alongside the sprawling Barton Court Estate – a £15 million property featuring a 32-room Georgian mansion and more than 100 acres of land on the banks of the River Kennet.
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Pippa Middleton and James Matthews married in 2017(Image: Getty)
But tensions flared after the couple reportedly installed electric gates shortly after buying the estate in 2022, blocking off access to the lane. Warning signs soon followed, declaring the route private and off-limits to the public.
In 2024, James, 50, submitted a highway declaration notice stating that Mill Lane was not accessible to the public.
For residents, the impact has resulted in potentially dangerous walking routes to get around the lane closure. Locals claim the closure has forced walkers onto a narrow country road with no pavement, raising serious safety concerns.
Local Neil G Lawrence said: “I was always of the belief that this route off of Station Road to the Kintbury footpath was public. When planning a walk, and executing a walk, the route looks logical, both on any available map and in reality on the ground.”
The property is worth a staggering £15million(Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
Campaigners say the route had long provided a safer alternative, allowing villagers to avoid road traffic while travelling between key parts of the community.
Eugene Futcher, chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, has warned that removing access puts people “at risk”, insisting the path has been used regularly for generations.
The dispute has now escalated into a formal battle over public access rights.
Campaigners argue that because the route has been used openly for more than 20 years, it should legally be recognised as a public right of way. However, that decision is currently under appeal, with the final outcome expected to be determined by the Planning Inspectorate.
James Matthews, a multi-millionaire, bought the estate in 2022(Image: Getty)
The controversy has also drawn wider attention from walking charity The Ramblers.
Sophie Redmond, Programme Manager for Paths, said the situation reflects a broader national issue. She explained that “thousands of miles of local paths are missing, blocked or unusable,” preventing people from accessing routes they are legally entitled to use.
Pointing specifically to Mill Lane, she added that evidence shows it has been walked by the community “for over 20 years without interruption,” meaning the public should have the right to continue using it.
She warned the closure has forced residents onto a “busy road with no pedestrian path,” highlighting the real-world consequences of losing access.
While neither James or Pippa has publicly commented, some locals believe the closure may be linked to privacy concerns following the estate’s purchase five years after the pair wed.
Feelings in the village are said to be running high. Testimonies heard by Kintbury Parish Council revealed a divide, with some residents saying they avoided the lane in the past due to signage, while others maintained it had been used freely for years.
Despite this, the council ultimately backed its designation as a right of way. According to Redmond, the row in Berkshire is far from unique.
Across Britain, access to local green spaces is becoming increasingly restricted – with blocked paths disproportionately affecting less affluent communities.
Signs and gates were put up when the couple moved into the estate(Image: Getty)
“This isn’t just unfair, it’s unhealthy,” she said, warning that reduced access to nature is deepening inequalities in health and wellbeing.
The Ramblers’ Access Denied campaign is now calling for stronger protections and expanded walking networks to ensure communities can safely reach green spaces.
Eugene Futcher, chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, claims residents have enjoyed “unfettered access” to the lane since the 1960s. Speaking to The Times, he stated: “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.”
The Barton Court estate has been contacted for a comment.
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