Locals fume at Princess Kate’s sister after sudden closure on estate | Royal | News
Tensions are rising in rural Berkshire as a dispute linked to the Royal Family sparks anger among locals. People living in the village of Kintbury have expressed their anger after a well-used footpath was suddenly closed near a luxury property owned by James Matthews, who is married to Pippa Middleton and brother-in-law of Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Mill Lane in Kintbury was normally a quiet access route used to access nearby footpaths, the village center and St Mary’s Church. The strip runs along the sprawling Barton Court Estate. Tensions flared after the couple blocked access to the strip by installing electric gates shortly after purchasing the property in 2022. Warning signs soon followed, declaring the route private and closed to the public.
Some villagers insist the former owner of the property never had a problem with walkers and left the gates, said to be covered in ivy, open when he died in 2020 at the age of 88.
In 2024, James, aged 50, filed a highway declaration stating that Mill Lane was not open to the public.
Locals claim the closure has forced walkers onto a narrow village road with no pavement, raising serious safety concerns.
Neil G Lawrence said: “I have always believed that this route from Station Road to the Kintbury footpath is open to the public. When planning and carrying out a walk, the route looks sensible both on any available map and in reality on the ground.”
Eugene Futcher, chairman of the West Berkshire Ramblers, tole Times: “This is a safe way to get to and from the village, so pedestrians would be at risk if they had to use the road.”
The billionaire hedge fund manager and former racing driver lives there with Pippa, 42, and their three children Arthur, Grace and Rose.
Before the main entrance gate was closed, warning signs saying “No Trespassing” and “Private: Public Access Prohibited” were also hung.
Although neither James nor Pippa have commented publicly, some residents believe the closure may be linked to privacy concerns.
