He said after contacting the Bishop of Oxford, the issue appeared to have been resolved with the introduction of a buzzer system for entering with a car instead of facing a 300-meter walk, but has asserted that during a recent visit, “the buzzer was not working at all”.
Wendy Earl, his wife, also claimed that a problem with the buzzer system forced the couple to walk to church, adding that “luckily” on another occasion when they found themselves left out, ” David Cameron arrived, taking his daughter on horseback and he had the code and let us in ”.
The cemetery gate “under repair”
Representatives for Mrs Goldsmith, the daughter of late financier Sir James Goldsmith, have disputed allegations that access to the church has been restricted.
A spokesperson for Ms Goldsmith said: ‘There has always been a prominent sign next to the doors stating that you can ring the bell to access vehicles at any time of the day, including weekends – it is currently being repaired after someone drove there. – and the doors are always open for religious services.
“The door has not been left open before by the previous owner. It didn’t exist. Jemima reestablished the original gate, with proper planning, for security reasons after having a persistent problem with two male stalkers with criminal records.
“She has never had any complaints and all of her neighbors have been very understanding about the situation. “
The spokesperson added that the counts had been given the estate’s gardener’s number for future access.