Opening and closing gates on a muddy track in a howling rain storm is not our idea of fun so we have had some cattle grids installed at the turning from the road and at the entrance to the cottage.
First, dig a big hole.

Soak-aways were also dug alongside the main holes to allow them to drain after heavy rains.

Then fill it with concrete blocks and steel beams and wait a couple of days for it to set. Our cars had to live out in the field while the work was going on as it blocked all vehicular access to the house.

Finally fill round with a lot of concrete and wait a couple more days. The finished product looks very sturdy. We finished off the job by installing some hedgehog ramps in case any small critters fall into the pit under the grids.
A couple of days after the grids were installed a small herd of cows and their calves arrived in the field. One of the cows is a Belted Galloway. I’ll post some pictures of them soon.