The hedge fund manager husband of Pippa Middleton has sparked controversy by claiming his family’s ‘high public profile’ justifies banning walkers from a footpath on their £15million Berkshire estate.
James Matthews and Pippa Middleton, sister of the Princess of Wales, live at the Grade I-listed Barton Court with their three children. They are now locked in a dispute with Britain’s walking charity over access to Mill Lane, a path locals say has been used for generations. Residents in Kintbury have described the move as “arrogant” and accuse the couple of “alienating the community.”
While previous owner Sir Terence Conran reportedly left the path open, the royal-related couple insist it was never public and cite security and privacy concerns. Electric gates and “Private: No Public Access” signs were installed when they moved in 2022.
Thirty-five residents, supported by The Ramblers’ Association, appealed to West Berkshire Council to declare Mill Lane a public right of way. But the Matthews have pushed back, arguing security risks for their high-profile family.
Mr Matthews told the inquiry: “There are implications for my family, due to their high public profile, which means there is a need for a higher level of security… Therefore, before we moved in, I arranged for an electric security gate to be erected on the Drive. It is kept shut, except perhaps on the odd occasion when visitors are expected.” 
Locals say the path has historically offered a safer alternative to Station Road, which has no pavement. “It has been immensely valuable for exercise, mental health, and sheer joy of the countryside,” said Trevor Coles, a Kintbury resident since 1954.
Supporting the Matthews’ claim, former residents including Max Gallagher and Lady Victoria Conran testified the driveway was always marked private and rarely used by the public.
A spokesperson for the couple emphasized: “For as long as records exist, there has never been a footpath or public right of way on the land currently under discussion… Other clearly marked footpaths are nearby, and this has always been private property.”
As a six-day Planning Inspectorate hearing continues in Kintbury, the council must decide whether the road remains private or becomes public, leaving the village divided over one of Britain’s most high-profile disputes.
