The decision overturns a previous designation of the route as a public right of way.

The estate, which Mr Matthews acquired for £15.5million in 2022, sits just 12 miles from the Berkshire childhood home of Pippa, 43, and her elder sister, the Princess of Wales.

Villagers of Kintbury had long maintained the path through the estate served generations of local walkers, providing a vital connection to a public footpath linking outlying areas with its 12th-century church.

Without it, residents said they were left navigating a narrow country lane with no pavements.

Backed by the Ramblers’ Association, more than 30 walkers petitioned West Berkshire District Council to formally recognise the driveway as a public right of way – which was granted in 2024.

Mr Matthews, a 51-year-old hedge fund manager, contested the decision, arguing that the route had not been used freely by the public for the two decades demanded by law.

| GETTY

He told the public inquiry, held in May, that nothing in the conveyancing process when he purchased the property had indicated any public entitlement to use the drive.

Lady Victoria Conran, the widow of Sir Terence Conran who sold the 32-room Georgian mansion and its 145-acre grounds to the couple following her husband’s death, offered a statement firmly in their support.

“In the 30 years that I lived at Barton Court, I only ever saw one person using the driveway who should not have been there,” she told the inquiry.

“Suffice to say, I never observed any organised groups of ramblers using the driveway.”

Mr Matthews justified the installation of gates by citing the elevated security requirements arising from his family’s prominent public profile, telling the inquiry: “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.”

The inquiry heard that within weeks of the couple taking possession, electric gates appeared across the driveway accompanied by signs reading “No Trespassing” and “Private: No Public Access”.

Local councillor Tony Vickers expressed dismay at the outcome, saying: “I am surprised and very disappointed that the inspector came down on the landowner’s side.

“After attending almost all the inquiry, I could not see any relevant argument put by Mr Matthews’ supporters.”

A spokeswoman for the couple responded: “We are grateful for the careful consideration given to the facts and appreciate the time invested by all parties.”