Pippa Middleton’s husband awaits verdict in footpath row as inquiry hears closing arguments

An inspector’s ruling is anticipated within several weeks

Closing statements were scheduled for today in a public inquiry examining a contested footpath running through the £15million country estate belonging to James Matthews, husband of Pippa Matthews and brother-in-law to the Princess of Wales.

The hearing, which began on May 13 at Kintbury Coronation Hall in Hungerford, concerned access to a portion of the driveway at Barton Court, the couple’s 145-acre property in West Berkshire.

 

Mr Matthews, a businessman whose brother Spencer appeared on Made in Chelsea, married Pippa Middleton in May 2017.

The family, including their three young children, now occupy the 32-room estate.

\u200bPippa Middleton

Pippa Middleton’s husband is awaiting the verdict in a footpath row after the inquiry heard closing arguments today

 | GETTY

An inspector’s ruling is anticipated within several weeks following today’s final submissions.

Mr Matthews appeared before the inquiry to present his case that the family’s prominent public standing demands heightened security at their residence.

“There are implications for my family, due to their high public profile, which means there is a need for a higher level of security than would otherwise be the case if the circumstances were different,” he told the hearing.

The businessman purchased the property in August 2022 and testified that nothing in the conveyancing process suggested public use of the driveway.

Pippa Middleton

Pippa married James Matthews in 2017 | GETTY

“Therefore to improve security for my family, before we moved in, I arranged for an electric security gate to be erected on the drive,” he stated.

The barrier was installed in September 2022 and reinforced in 2025 due to continuing security requirements. It remains closed except when visitors arrive.

Local walkers maintain the gate blocked a route their community had used for generations. The West Berkshire Ramblers lodged an application in January 2023 requesting official recognition of the pathway through a definitive map modification order.

Resident Trevor Coles provided written evidence asserting that former owners had always permitted access along the route.

Pippa Middleton
Pippa Matthews is the younger sister of the Princess of Wales | PA

“Historically, I have absolutely no recall of any hindrance being put in the way of locals and ramblers,” Mr Coles wrote.

Fellow resident Neal James Pike voiced confusion at efforts to restrict Mill Lane, contending it would impede those wishing to enjoy Kintbury and the surrounding countryside.

Mr Matthews disputed these claims, noting that neither the parish council nor neighbours objected when the gate was erected. He testified that over three and a half years, he had witnessed only a handful of people walking the drive on two or three occasions.

A spokesman for the Matthews family maintained he was entitled to “create a safe environment on his private property, for his young children playing outside, away from foreseeable risks through uncontrolled trespassers and traffic”.

Pippa Middleton

Pippa Matthews was the Princess of Wales’s bridesmaid in 2011 | PAThe spokesman added that historical records showed no footpath or public right of way had ever existed on the land, with private property signage in place for decades.

David Hill, estate manager at Barton Court from 2016 to 2022, testified he encountered walkers infrequently, estimating perhaps one person every two to three months.

West Berkshire District Council concluded the route was “reasonably alleged to exist as a public right of way” following its investigation.

The council noted that under law, a public footpath may be established through 20 years of continuous public use without force, secrecy or permission.

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