Scunthorpe Hospital owns the Frodingham Nature Reserve. North Lincolnshire Council leases it. It was the first site to become a local nature reserve within North Lincolnshire.
The site is about 3 acres. It forms part of the impressive railway cutting, excavated for the Trent, Ancholme and Grimsby railway that was built between 1861 and 1866.
Wild flowers
The reserve is managed as a wildflower meadow with perimeter woodland. Although the reserve is a man made it contains a wealth of flowers, insects and other wildlife.
Wild flowers present include:
- Common spotted orchid
- Common centaury
- Vetch species
- Storksbill
- Doves foot
- Cranesbill
- Mouse-ear chickweed
- Black knapweed
- Honeysuckle
- Dog rose
- Ox-eye daisy
- Milkwort
- Birds foot trefoil
- Hemp agrimony
Butterfly haven
The wild flowers make the reserve a butterfly haven attracting:
- The small and large white
- Common blue
- Holly blue
- Painted lady
- Small tortoiseshell
- Peacock
- Gatekeeper
Regular visits during the warmer months should produce up to 20 species. Watch for the pretty common blue, which lays its eggs on the yellow flower (birds-foot trefoil).
Wildlife
Trees on site include:
- Oak
- Rowan
- Hawthorn
- Dog rose
- Willow
The site also has wet boggy areas and a small pond that attracts:
The wooded perimeter and close proximity of Brumby Woodland Local Nature Reserve attracts birds such as:
- Green woodpecker
- Greater spotted woodpecker
- Jay
- Sparrow hawk
- Woodcock
- Pheasant
- Tree creeper
Other mammals include:
- Bat
- Squirrel
- Rabbit
- Vole
- Fox
The cricket is distinctive during summer months. And there are many anthills throughout the reserve.
Management
Before any management work took place the reserve was converting to scrub woodland (a natural progression, shading out many of the best flowering sites). To re-create a mixed grassland habitat much of the invasive scrub was cleared. Scrub clearance is now undertaken on an annual basis with mowing undertaken in rotation to provide a total cut every 3 years. Mowing is undertaken in the autumn months to allow wild flowers time to seed and the arisings are removed to prevent nutrient enrichment.