Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and husband James Matthews have purchased a Berkshire-based petting zoo, with plans to transform it into a family-friendly attraction.
The Mail on Sunday reports that James and his business partners plan to spend £800,000 turning the petting zoo and deer park, called Bucklebury Farm, into an indoor play barn for children. The attraction would also feature a cafe and farm shop, and visitors will be capped at 400 a day.
James and Pippa previously registered a company called Pippa’s Playground. James, who runs Mayfair investment firm Eden Rock, purchased Bucklebury Farm in March 2021. He is the joint owner with his partner, James Murray.
Bucklebury Farm project
The project will inject £2.3 million into the local economy. Murray and the farm’s manager, Oliver Shute, have presented the plans to parish councillors and planning permission is expected to be granted soon.
In December 2020, the Daily Mail reported that Pippa and James bought the 72-acre Bucklebury Farm for £1.5 million. The site includes a 44-acre deer park, as well as a cafe, glamping pods and children’s play area.
The farm’s previous owner was Rupert Hartley Russell, the son of Bucklebury’s Lord of the Manor, Willie Hartley-Russell. Describing the purchase as a “business opportunity”, a spokesperson for James and Pippa denied the couple had any plans to move there.
Meanwhile, Legoland Windsor plans to “up its game” to compete with the London Resort, a £2.5 billion theme park project in the UK. David Pugh, consultation advisor to Legoland Windsor, said the London Resort “has the potential to draw visitors away from Windsor”.
Image: Bucklebury Farm
