Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews are embroiled in a bitter dispute with local villagers after the couple erected ‘No Trespassing’ signs over a footpath used by the public.
The pair’s West Berkshire estate has a footpath leading up to their driveway, that residents have been able to use for years.
The previous occupant of their 145-acre estate was the late design tycoon Sir Terence Conran, and he allowed locals to use the lane.
Two years ago, Pippa and James moved into the property in Kintbury and now they’ve blocked access to the path.
Pictures published by the Daily Mail show the gate to the path carrying signs saying: “Private: No Public Access” and “No Trespassing”.
West Berkshire Council received a “highway declaration notice” from Mr Matthews in March 2024.
The notice marked out his private territory and stated the lane was no longer accessible.
He submitted the notice in response to the chairman of the West Berkshire Ramblers, Eugene Futcher, who submitted a “definitive map modification order”, in an attempt to have public right of access declared.
The council can make a decision on the dispute next year, but until then the property owners have rights over the lane.
Mr Futcher told The Telegraph: “There is evidence through witness statements of the public having had access to this lane going back to the 1960s.
“There has been unfettered public access for decades, if not centuries.”
He went on: “It connects to critical footpaths that the public have had use of for generations. If it is blocked it would not only restrict access to the network but it would also force walkers to go down a dangerous and busy road without pavements.
“The 1981 agriculture act stipulates that if it can be proved that a path has been used for 20 years or more, it can be claimed as a public right of way,” he added.
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