Residents in Kintbury have been left fuming after a route they used for decades was blocked off by electric gates installed at James Matthews’ luxury estate
A heated dispute is unfolding in the Berkshire countryside as a royal-connected conflict has left residents absolutely livid. Villagers in Kintbury have lashed out after a well-established walking path was abruptly blocked near a plush estate belonging to James Matthews – Pippa Middleton’s husband and brother-in-law to Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The controversy centres around Mill Lane, a tranquil access way that locals insist they’ve used for generations to reach neighbouring footpaths, the village’s centre and St Mary’s Church.
The lane borders the extensive Barton Court Estate – a £15 million property boasting a 32-room Georgian manor house and over 100 acres of grounds beside the River Kennet.
The friction erupted after the pair allegedly erected electric gates shortly following their purchase of the estate in 2022, cutting off entry to the lane. Warning notices subsequently appeared, branding the path private and forbidden to residents.
In 2024, James, 50, lodged a highway declaration notice claiming that Mill Lane was not open to public use, reports the Mirror.
For locals, the consequences have meant potentially hazardous walking alternatives to navigate around the lane’s closure.
Residents maintain the blockage has pushed pedestrians onto a cramped country lane lacking pavements, sparking grave safety worries.
Local resident 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.”
Activists claim the pathway had long offered a more secure option, enabling locals to dodge traffic while moving between different areas of the village.
Eugene Futcher, chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, has cautioned that blocking access leaves people “at risk”, maintaining the trail has been utilised consistently across generations. The row has now developed into an official dispute concerning public access entitlements.
Activists contend that since the pathway has been used openly for over 20 years, it ought to be legally acknowledged as a public right of way.
However, that ruling is currently being challenged, with a final decision anticipated from the Planning Inspectorate. The controversy has attracted broader interest from walking charity The Ramblers.
Sophie Redmond, programme manager for paths, described the circumstances as reflecting a wider nationwide problem.
Referring directly to Mill Lane, she noted that evidence demonstrates it has been walked by the community “for over 20 years without interruption,” meaning the public ought to retain the right to keep using it.
She warned the closure has pushed residents onto a “busy road with no pedestrian path,” emphasising the practical implications of losing such access.
While neither James nor Pippa has made any public statement, some villagers suspect the closure might be connected to privacy issues following the property’s acquisition five years after the couple’s marriage.
Emotions within the village are reportedly running high. Evidence presented to Kintbury Parish Council exposed a split, with some residents claiming they previously avoided the lane due to warning signs, while others insisted it had been used without restriction for years.
However, the council eventually supported its classification as a right of way. According to Redmond, the dispute in Berkshire is hardly an isolated case.
Eugene Futcher, chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, maintains residents have enjoyed “unfettered access” to the lane since the 1960s.
Speaking to The Times, he said: “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.”
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