James Matthews, the husband of the Princess of Wales’s sister Pippa, appeared at an inquiry today to explain why he installed a security gate on his drive amid claims by ramblers it blocks a public footpath
The brother-in-law of the Princess of Wales says his family’s high profile means they need a higher level of security amid a bitter row over a footpath next to their £15million estate.
Kate’s sister Pippa is married to hedge fund boss James Matthews, the older brother of TV star Spencer Matthews. The couple married in May 2017 and now live at 145-acre Barton Court in West Berkshire with their three young children.
Mr Matthews installed an electric security gate on the drive of the property in September 2022, which prompted walking group West Berkshire Ramblers to apply for a “definitive map modification order” in January 2023 to recognise a public footpath on the land.
West Berkshire District Council investigated and decided that the order route was “reasonably alleged to exist as a public right of way based on evidence, legislation and case law”, inquiry documents said.
But appearing at an inquiry today, Mr Matthews told the inquiry that the route is rarely used and the gate raised no objections from the local parish council or neighbours.
Mr Matthews added there was nothing in the conveyancing process which alerted him to any public use of the drive when he purchased the property in August 2022.
He said: “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.
“Therefore, to improve security for my family, before we moved in, I arranged for an electric security gate to be erected on the drive. This is the gate at Point X. It was installed in September 2022. It is kept shut, except perhaps on the odd occasion, such as when a visit by family or friends is expected.
“When the gate was put in, no one from the Parish Council or the village came to speak with us, or contacted us, about the gate to say that there was any problem with it being there.
“In the period after the footpath application, unfortunately, there has been a continued need to enhance security and the gates at Station Road have therefore been upgraded in the summer of 2025 and kept closed.”
He also said in the last three-and-a-half years he has seen “only a handful of people, on maybe two or three occasions, walking along the drive”.
Each time he said he spoke to those on the drive and told them it was not a public footpath and they acknowledged that it was not a footpath. Just over a dozen people sat in the public seats as Mr Matthews spoke.
In a statement to the inquiry, West Berkshire District Council said the application was based on “the legal principle that a public footpath can be deemed to exist if it has been enjoyed by the public for an uninterrupted period of 20 years, without force, secrecy or permission, or if evidence infers that a public footpath has been dedicated by a landowner at some point in the past and that dedication has then been accepted by the public (i.e. by being used by the public)”.
The inquiry is being heard in Kintbury Coronation Hall in Hungerford. David Hill, who was the estate manager for Barton Court between 2016 and 2022, told the inquiry on Thursday morning he does not recall regularly encountering people on the drive who were being told not to be there.
He said: “There was no consistent pattern of people coming and going. Occasionally I would come across someone who appeared to be lost or unaware that they should not be there. It’s hard to estimate but probably one person every two-to-three months although sometimes not as often as that.
“Always individuals, never groups. In those instances, I would ask whether they were lost or whether they needed assistance. I would tell them that it was not a public footpath and was a private drive.
“They would either turn back the way they had come, or if they were close to the other end of the route, I might allow them to continue.”
Trevor Coles said in a written statement: “Past proprietors of Barton Court have always respected the authenticity and value of this right of way and it is only since new owners have been in residence that obstructions have appeared.Historically, I have absolutely no recall of any hindrance being put in the way of locals and ramblers.”
In another written statement, Neal James Pike said: “I do not understand why the present owners are trying to close the use of Mill Lane when it has been used by the walking public for decades. It will interrupt free movement of people who appreciate the lovely village of Kintbury and its surrounding countryside.”
A spokesperson for Mr and Mrs Matthews said: “James Matthews has the right to create a safe environment on his private property, for his young children playing outside, away from foreseeable risks through uncontrolled trespassers and traffic. For as long as records exist, there has never been a footpath/public right of way on the land currently under discussion.
“For decades past there has always been signage pointing out this is the driveway to a private property, with no public access. There are other clearly marked footpaths nearby.” The inquiry continues.
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