Cattle grid sign: what it means
The Cattle grid sign warns that a cattle grid crosses the road ahead. A plate may show a way round for horse-drawn vehicles and animals.
What does the cattle grid sign mean?
A cattle grid is a set of bars across the road that animals will not walk over. Know your traffic signs shows the sign with a plate pointing to a bypass for horse-drawn vehicles and animals.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- Cattle may be in the road ahead.
- Wild horses or ponies may be on the road.
- A cattle grid crosses the road ahead.
Show answer
C. A cattle grid crosses the road ahead. It warns of a cattle grid in the road ahead (Know your traffic signs). Source: Know your traffic signs: warning signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 214, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Where will you see it?
Where a road enters or leaves open grazing land, such as moorland and commons.
What should you do?
Slow down for the bumpy grid, and beyond it expect animals loose on the road.
What do people get wrong?
Speeding up after the grid. On the other side, animals may be grazing on the road.
Common questions
Why is there a bypass for horses?
Horses and other animals cannot walk over the grid, so a gate or track beside it is marked for them and for horse-drawn vehicles.
Should I expect animals after a cattle grid?
Yes. The grid keeps animals in an area of open land, so they may be on the road.
Compare with
Cattle signCattle may be in the road ahead.
Wild horses or ponies signWild horses or ponies may be on the road.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 4 November 2026 against Know your traffic signs (warning signs) and The Highway Code rule 214.
- Know your traffic signs: warning signs, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code, rule 214, GOV.UK
- Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.