Tensions are rising in the Berkshire countryside, with a dispute linked to the Royal Family sparking anger among local residents. People living in the village of Kintbury have voiced their anger after a well-used walking path was abruptly closed near a luxury estate owned by James Matthews, who is married to Pippa Middleton and is the brother-in-law of Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Mill Lane in Kintbury was normally a quiet access route used to reach nearby footpaths, the village centre and St Mary's Church. The lane runs alongside the sprawling Barton Court Estate. Tensions flared after the couple reportedly installed electric gates shortly after buying the estate in 2022, blocking off access to the lane. Warning signs soon followed, declaring the route private and off-limits to the public.

Some villagers insist the estate's former owner never had an issue with walkers and left the gates open, which were said to be overgrown with ivy at the time of his death in 2020, aged 88.

In 2024, James, 50, submitted a highway declaration notice stating that Mill Lane was not accessible to the public.

Locals claim the closure has forced walkers onto a narrow country road with no pavement, raising serious safety concerns.

Neil G Lawrence said: "I was always of the belief that this route off 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."

The chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, Eugene Futcher tole The Times: "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."

James Matthews, 50, bought the Barton Court estate for £15.5million in 2022 in an off-market sale.

The billionaire hedge fund manager and former racing driver lives there with Pippa, 42, and their three children, Arthur, Grace, and Rose.

Warning signs reading "No Trespassing" and "Private: No Public Access" were also put up, before the main entrance gate was shut too.

While neither James nor Pippa has publicly commented, some locals believe the closure may be linked to privacy concerns.