Broughton Woods is a linear area of ancient woodland between Broughton and the Steel Works on the edge of Scunthorpe. It is popular with local dog walkers.
The area has been carefully managed with tree being felled and replanted over the last one hundred years. It is a mix of beech, oak and sycamore woodland. The trees are very closely planted with very tall slender trunks and little canopy development.
There is a network of interconnecting paths through the woods and it is easy to lose your sense of direction although if you keep heading west you will come to the B1207, the main road between Broughton and Appleby.
I went with the Scunthorpe U3A Woodland Wanderers Group. we don’t wander very far or very fast. It is more of a social walk with a bit of natural history thrown in. A very wet morning had turned into a lovely afternoon with some sunshine. Paths were muddy and quite wet in places.
It is an attractive area especially in autumn when there are loads of fungi around. We smelt several stinkhorns and even managed to find a very battered specimen to appreciate the full glory of its pong. There were small puff balls waiting to be puffed as well as a wide variety of unidentifiable beige and brown fungi, including the lovely Magpie Incap with its markings resembling snake scales.
There are a few small laybys along the B1207 where cars can park. The nearest post code is DN20 0EH and the grid reference is SE 955 090