When Pippa Middleton and James Matthews paid £15 million for a 32-room red-brick Georgian mansion set in 145 acres of Berkshire countryside, they surely thought they had found the perfect sanctuary to raise their young family in privacy.
But the Princess of Wales‘s younger sister and her hedge-fund tycoon husband now find themselves in a battle with furious locals, after they barred dog walkers and ramblers from going through their grounds.
The couple will now have to persuade a government-appointed planning inspector next month that they are within their rights to withdraw long-standing access to the track.
Grade I-listed Barton Court, which sits on the River Kennet near the village of Kintbury, was previously owned by the late retail tycoon Sir Terence Conran, who allowed locals to use Mill Lane, which winds through the estate.
But when the couple arrived in 2022 with their three children – Arthur, seven, Grace, five, and Rose, three – they wasted little time in closing off the lane with an electric gate.
Signs warning ‘Private: No Public Access’ and ‘No Trespassing’ appeared around the perimeter.
Thirty-five residents, backed by The Ramblers Association, applied to West Berkshire Council to have Mill Lane declared a public right of way.
The council sided with the villagers, but Mr Matthews, through his land agent, then objected.
Pippa Middleton (pictured) and husband James Matthews have found themselves in a battle with furious locals, after they barred ramblers from going through their grounds
The couple will now have to persuade a government-appointed planning inspector next month that they are within their rights to withdraw long-standing access to the track (pictured)
Next month a planning inspector will hear representations from both sides before making a legally binding ruling.
Eugene Futcher, chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘People have used it for a very long time – certainly since the 19605.
‘Taking it away will be inconvenient, especially when walking is so important to mental health. It will force people on to the main road, which is very dangerous.
‘There is no footpath or verge.
‘The paths were never closed under Conran – he actively encouraged people to use them.’
Rob Brown, 68, a Kintbury resident since 1985, said: 1 don’t think they give a damn about what anyone in the village thinks.
‘They’re not very popular in the area. They think they’re a bit better than everyone else. They re not even the proper Royal Family
‘Closing the path is a nuisance. Conran was better for the area.’
Peter Clegg, 68, said: I don’t know who they think they are. They think they can decide who can walk where and when.
‘It’s not on. It’s not like people are trampling on arable fields. People have been walking there for a long time. It shows a lack of respect.’
A resident of 20 years added: ‘I understand their need for privacy, but you can’t move into a village and demand that people change their ways.’
The footpath dispute is not the only source of friction since the couple arrived in Kintbury.
Plans to renovate the mansion stalled after archaeologists warned that work could disturb prehistoric remains on the site.
And last year a party to mark Mr Matthews’ 50th birthday drew complaints over late-night music.
Mr Matthews was approached for comment.
