Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews have bid their passion project Buckleberry Farm a reluctant farewell after accumulating over six figures worth of debt every year since purchasing the property for around £1.3 million in 2021.
© GettyThe 72-acre farm is a deer and safari park with animals available to pet, as well as a soft play area, an outdoor playpark, a café and glamping safari-style tents for overnight stays. Events included a 'bunny disco' at Easter, and Santa's Grotto for children at Christmas.
Despite the plethora of activity at the farm, the total debt of the property reached £807,543 in 2025, suggesting that Pippa and James struggled to turn Buckleberry Farm into a profitable business before finally throwing in the towel.
© Getty ImagesIn a further bid to improve prospects for the farm and tackle a shortage of early years care options in West Berkshire, the couple applied last year for permission to build a nursery on the site for children aged between nine months and five years. While initially approved, the plan soon ran into trouble when the local highways authority raised "significant concerns" about the excess cars in the area that the so-called 'countryside creche' would bring.
Pippa and James attempted to push back, arguing that the "diversification" of the property was "essential to securing the farm's future, enabling it to remain open to the public and continue offering educational and recreational opportunities for the community".
Despite their impassioned plea, the planning application was refused and their bid to save the farm fell short.
Local opposition to the Middleton involvement in the farm had also increased in recent years, with visitors criticising the increased ticket prices, and one local going so far as to tell the Daily Mail that the scheme was nothing more than a "snooty cash grab", suggesting the venue was no longer as inclusive as it had once been.
The Middleton property empire
Prior to its sale, Buckleberry Farm was just one section of Pippa's £15 million, 150-acre estate in Berkshire – and they aren't the only Middletons in the area.
Family are always close by, as Carole and Michael Middleton’s sprawling £4.5 million property, Bucklebury Manor, is just a stone's throw away.
© GettyThe seven-bedroom, Grade II-listed Georgian property boasts five reception rooms including a drawing room, a library, as well as a swimming pool, a tennis court and 18 acres of land. It will come as no surprise that Pippa and James chose the venue to host their wedding reception when they tied the knot back in 2017.
© Getty ImagesKate and Pippa's brother, James, also lives close by in a £1.45 million countryside home with wife Alizée Thevenet, their son Inigo, and many four-legged friends.
