We’ll be charged £60 to walk our dogs through King Charles’ second cousin’s posh estate – people just won’t pay it
LOCALS are furious after King Charles' second cousin planned to start charging people £60 a year to walk their dogs on his estate.
TV personality Lord Ivar Mountbatten announced his plans to charge dog-walkers on his 100-acre Devon estate.
The fee could hit a whopping £60 a year - sparking outrage among locals.
He wrote in the parish magazine: "The rise in living and operational costs in the past 12 months means our maintenance, management and operational obligations have spiralled far higher than the return of coffee, cake and community events can cover."
He said he and husband James Coyle have tough decisions to make for the year ahead.
He added: "I want to continue to offer access to the Orangery and Parkland across seven days a week.
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"But if we’re going to remain open, we need our guests and visitors to support us a bit more if they can."
However, one dog walker told the : "As you can imagine, people are not very happy.
"It is one thing charging non-locals a day fee to visit but quite another exploiting what is really a captive audience. I don’t think people will pay it.
"It is a pleasant enough park, but you have to keep your dog on the lead because of all the deer roaming around and all the water birds on the lake."
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Critics have taken to social media to express their outrage.
One commented: "Greed."
Others, however, have been quick to understand the reasons for the decision.
One wrote: "It's his estate... that is little more than A Pound a week."
Lord Ivar opened Bridwell Park, in Culm Valley to the public during the pandemic.
He was a first cousin, once removed, of Prince Philip and a third cousin, once removed, of Queen Elizabeth II.
He and his husband launched the Orangery cafe to add to their their income after their successful wedding business was hit by Covid restrictions.
It featured in the ITV programme Keeping Up With The Aristocrats.
