- Made in North Devon since 1973
- BSI Kitemark ready-mixed concrete
- Manufactured to BS EN 14992
- UK-wide & European delivery
Civils · highways · agricultural
Cattle Grids.
No gate. No latch. No livestock on the road.
Highway-grade precast cattle grids for farm entrances, county roads and estate boundaries. Cast to BS EN 1991-2 LM1 (farm) and HB37.5 (highway) loadings. Galvanised steel top bars on a reinforced precast pit. Catalogue widths 3m to 5m (9ft10in to 16ft5in), bespoke to suit. Civils lead time 4-6 weeks.
A cattle grid is a road-spanning frame of parallel bars over a pit, designed so vehicles cross unimpeded but cattle, sheep and ponies will not. UK highway grids carry BS EN 1991-2 LM1 and HB37.5 loads. WCCP cast the precast pit and supply the galvanised top frame as a single delivered package.
We cast and deliver across the UK from the Holsworthy yard. Used on Dartmoor, Exmoor, the Brecon Beacons, the Lake District and county roads in between.
- · BS EN 1991-2
- · HB37.5 highway
- · Galvanised top bars
- · Precast pit base
- · Bypass gate inc.
- · 4–6 week lead
📷 Photo needed
Hero shot — installed cattle grid on a Dartmoor or Exmoor road, three-quarter view showing top bars, pit, side bypass gate and rural setting
Specification
Widths, loadings and pit depths.
Catalogue widths from 3m to 5m, with farm and highway loading options. Bespoke widths and heavier loadings detailed by our consulting engineer.
| Variant | Dimensions | Detail | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Farm Grid 3.0m × 2.4m (9ft10in × 7ft10in) | 3000 × 2400 × 600mm (9ft10in × 7ft10in × 2ft) pit | Galvanised top bars · concrete base unit | Farm entrances and field gate replacements |
| Standard Farm Grid 3.6m × 2.4m (11ft10in × 7ft10in) | 3600 × 2400 × 600mm (11ft10in × 7ft10in × 2ft) pit | Galvanised top bars · wider span | Farm yards and double-track entrances |
| Highway Grid 4.0m × 2.4m (13ft1in × 7ft10in) | 4000 × 2400 × 750mm (13ft1in × 7ft10in × 2ft6in) pit | BS EN 1991-2 HB37.5 · highway-grade | County and rural-road cattle grids |
| Estate Grid 5.0m × 3.0m (16ft5in × 9ft10in) | 5000 × 3000 × 750mm (16ft5in × 9ft10in × 2ft6in) pit | Heavy-duty highway · 40-tonne rated (about 88,200 lb) | A-roads, estate boundaries, NFA hauliers |
| Bespoke Cattle Grid | To suit road width | Engineer-detailed for the loading | Bespoke widths and specialist applications |
Top bars are 75mm × 50mm (3in × 2in) hollow section, hot-dip galvanised to BS EN ISO 1461, set at 125mm (5in) centres — proven to deter cattle, sheep and ponies. Bypass gate matches.
The range
Cattle grids in service.
📷 Photo needed
Highway-grade cattle grid installed on a county road in Devon
📷 Photo needed
Galvanised top bars detail — close-up of bar spacing
📷 Photo needed
Precast pit being lifted into excavated formation by 50-tonne (about 110,000 lb) crane
📷 Photo needed
Pedestrian and equestrian bypass gate alongside the grid
📷 Photo needed
Drainage detail — perforated pipe in the pit base
📷 Photo needed
Estate-grade 5m (16ft5in) grid at a National Park boundary
📷 Photo needed
Cross-section drawing of grid, pit and bypass
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Yard storage — galvanised top frames stacked at Holsworthy
Where they go
Common applications.
From a single-track farm entrance in West Devon to a 5m (16ft5in) highway grid at a National Park boundary, the engineering scales — and the precast pit and galvanised top frame come from the same Holsworthy yard.
- · Farm entrances replacing field gates
- · County-road cattle grids on rural moorland and common land
- · National Park access points (Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, Brecon)
- · Highways England and Welsh Government A-road improvements
- · Estate boundaries and shooting-ground access tracks
- · Forestry Commission and woodland access roads
- · Agricultural vehicle routes — 40-tonne tractor and trailer rated
Standards & references
Cast and detailed to current best practice.
- BS EN 1991-2:2003+A1:2010
- Eurocode 1 — actions on structures, traffic loads on bridges and similar structures.
- DMRB CD 357
- Design Manual for Roads and Bridges — cattle grid design and loading requirements.
- BS 8500-1:2023
- Concrete specification — C40/50 mix for the buried pit structure.
- BS EN ISO 1461
- Hot-dip galvanising — coating thickness on the steel top frame and bypass gate.
- BHS Bypass Guidance
- British Horse Society — pedestrian and equestrian bypass dimensions and gate requirements.
Configure your grid
Send road width, loading class and access — we will quote inside 48 hours.
Related products
Often ordered alongside.
Common questions
What people ask about cattle grids.
Five questions we answer most weeks. If yours is not here, ring the yard.
What loading do they take? +
Our farm grids are rated to BS EN 1991-2 LM1 — that covers any normal agricultural vehicle including a fully-loaded 40-tonne (about 88,200 lb) articulated lorry. Highway-grade grids on county and A-roads carry HB37.5 (the abnormal load case for heavy hauliers). The structural calc comes signed off with the order.
How deep is the pit? +
600mm (2ft) minimum for a farm grid, 750mm (2ft6in) for a highway-grade. The pit depth keeps the cattle from stepping across — anything shallower and a determined heifer will work it out within a fortnight. We supply a precast pit base as part of the package or detail to suit a poured-in-situ base.
How do you stop the pit filling with mud? +
A perforated drainage pipe in the base, falling to a soakaway or ditch outfall, plus a hinged maintenance grille at one end so you can rake out twice a year. CIRIA C786 detailing applies where the grid drains to a watercourse.
Do they need a side gate? +
Yes — the highway and bridleway code requires a pedestrian and equestrian bypass alongside any cattle grid. We supply matching galvanised gates and bypass kerbs as part of the package, sized to BHS guidance for horse-and-rider bypass.
What is the lead time? +
Catalogue farm grids run 4 to 6 weeks. Highway and estate-grade grids 6 to 10 weeks because the structural sign-off is more involved. Highways England and county council adoption schemes add 2 weeks for client design approval.
How would you like it?
Supply-only or fitted — Cattle Grids
Supply only
Per-unit / per-metre supply
Lead time: 4–6 weeks
- Precast pit unit cast in C40/50
- Galvanised steel top frame and bars
- Pedestrian and equestrian bypass gate
- Structural calcs and delivery on our HIAB
- Excavation and base concrete
- Drainage outfall and surfacing reinstatement
Fitted (supply + install)
Supply + install crew
Lead time: 6–10 weeks (incl. site slot)
- Everything in supply only
- CSCS-carded install crew with crane
- Drainage make-up and bypass gate fit
- Excavation, base concrete and tarmac surfacing
- Highway closure, traffic management and adoption fees
. Highway-adopted cattle grids and Highways England schemes priced individually — send the long-section and loading class and we'll come back within two working days.
Ready to spec it?
Send us road width, loading class and a site sketch. Quote within 48 hours.