| Location | Conisbrough, Doncaster, England |
|---|---|
| Postcode | DN12 3BN |
| Renamed | Archers Way (April 2009) |
| South end | Butterbusk and Ravens Walk |
| North end | A630 Sheffield Road |
Butt Hole Road is the former name of a street in the town of Conisbrough, Doncaster, England, within the county of South Yorkshire. The street gained fame for its suggestive name, and has since been renamed to Archers Way. The street is located off of the A630 Sheffield Road in the DN12 3BN postcode of Conisbrough,[1] and is approximately 150 feet (47 m) long, intersecting with two streets—Butterbusk and Ravens Walk—at the south end.[2] Because the street is very short, it houses only four homes,[3] all of which are located on the east side of the street, numbered 1, 3, 5, and 7.[4]
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The street gained notoriety in and out of England for its suggestive naming, as the term "butt hole" or "butthole" is slang for "anus" in American English.[5][6] In 2004, a Reuters article widely circulated on the internet about a family who moved out of their £150,000 bungalow on the street, simply because they were embarrassed by the street's name.[7] The Doncaster Council, the local governing body, has no record of where Butt Hole Road got its name;[8] however, residents of the street believe that it was named after a communal water butt that was originally located in the area.[9] One resident living on the street initially thought the address "would be fun", but claimed that the novelty quickly wore off.[10] After a picture of the street sign appeared on the internet, the street became so famous that tour buses would stop at the street for American tourists to visit.[3] The street sign was constantly stolen over time, and tourists would be seen taking pictures in front of the sign with their buttocks exposed.[8]
While it was a popular destination for tourists, businesses such as delivery and taxicab services would not serve residents living on Butt Hole Road, believing that the name was simply a prank.[11] Those living on the street would also receive phone calls from pranksters making a joke about the street name,[8] and the residents eventually had their phone number become ex-directory.[11] The name of the street inspired authors Ed Hurst and Rob Bailey to create the book Rude Britain, which features a compilation of inappropriate place names in Great Britain, after reading an article about a couple who purchased a house on the street.[9]
Residents of Butt Hole Road were determined to have the name of the street changed to deter tourists from visiting the street and to put an end to the jokes made about the street's name.[12] Planners allowed the change as all of the residents on the street were in favour of the new name. Because the Doncaster Council would only replace a street sign for free if it was damaged or in a state of disrepair, the residents of Butt Hole Road had to raise £300 for a new street sign.[13] On 22 April 2009, the street was renamed to "Archers Way", named after the 930-year-old Conisbrough Castle, located half a mile (0.8 km) away.[10][12] Shortly after the name change, an internet petition was created to change the road back to its original name.[10] The renaming of the street gained worldwide attention and was featured in such international publications as The New Zealand Herald,[14] Bild (Germany),[15] and Het Laatste Nieuws (Belgium).[16]