Latest News About Pippa Middleton Footpath Inquiry

Here’s a concise update on the latest about the Pippa Middleton footpath inquiry.

• Public inquiry held in May 2026 at Kintbury to decide whether a contested footpath along Mill Lane near Barton Court should be added to the Definitive Map of public rights of way. Evidence from residents, the council, and the estate’s representatives was heard, with a government inspector to publish a decision in the weeks following the hearings.[2][6]
• The dispute centers on longstanding pedestrian use of the lane by villagers, with Ramblers UK pushing for formal public access and Pippa Middleton and James Matthews contesting the route’s status. The inquiry examined whether usage met the required time frame and conditions to establish a public right of way.[6][2]
• Privacy and security concerns were not deemed relevant to the legal question at hand; the focus remained on historical user rights and the route’s status, with the inspector due to rule on whether to recognize the path.[7]

If you’d like, I can pull the key witness summaries and the inspector’s decision timeline into a compact briefing, or track the final ruling as soon as it’s published.[6][7]