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Princess Kate's brother-in-law James Matthews has been accused of "putting the public at risk" with a move at his £15m home. James, who married Pippa Middleton in 2017, bought the Barton Court Estate in Berkshire in 2022.

The estate boasts a 32-room Georgian mansion as well as 145 acres of countryside that sit on the banks of the River Kennet. Locals however have hit-out after the hedge fund manager reportedly sealed off an entrance onto Mill Lane. Villagers say it provides a crucial link to a footpath that connects the outlying areas to the village of Kintbury and St Mary's Church. They now claim they are forced to use a narrow country lane instead.

They say the estate's previous owner, Sir Terence Conran, never objected to walkers or closed the gates at the end of the lane. Within weeks of buying the estate, they say James installed electric gates 70 metres from the eastern entrance to the lane, preventing the walkers from accessing the footpath.

They say warning signs were then put up saying "No Trespassing" and "Private: No Public Access". The Times reports that in 2024, James lodged a highway declaration notice saying that Mill Lane wasn't accessible to the public.

West Berkshire Council has reportedly designated the lane as a public right of way after local walkers said it had been used freely for over two decades, a decision that is being appealed with the Planning Inspectorate. The Ramblers' Association says the lane has been used "to leave and return to Kintbury village by a safe and scenic route which avoided the need to walk along Station Road which has no footpath or verge to protect pedestrians".

Eugene Futcher, the chairman of West Berkshire Ramblers, says people have had "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."

He says people have been using the lane for "decades" up to "hundreds of days a year". While the keen walker says it is unclear why James wanted to close the footpath, he believes it could be to "keep their privacy".

He added: "Sir Terence did nothing to discourage people from using the lane and kept the gate open. Feelings are running quite high in the village."

Kintbury parish council heard accounts from locals over Mill Lane. Some reportedly stayed away from the lane during Sir Terrence's ownership because of a sign that stated it was a "private road", while others claimed they had used it regularly for years.

Nonetheless, the parish council agreed to support the lane's designation as a right of way. The Barton Court estate has been contacted for a comment.