Archers Way, formerly named Butt Hole Road, is a street in Conisbrough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The short residential street gained fame for its suggestive name and was frequented by tourists who would stop to take photos by its street sign. Residents living on the street experienced issues with their address, as they were refused services due to the name and were the target of pranks and jokes. After privately raising funds for a new street sign and seeking approval from the local government, residents had the name of the street changed in 2009.
| Archers Way (2009–present) | |
 Former street sign with tourists posing | |
| Length | 350 ft (110 m)[1] |
|---|---|
| Location | Conisbrough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England |
| Postal code | DN12 3BN |
| Coordinates | 53°29′05″N 1°12′41″W / 53.484691°N 1.211447°W |
| South end | Dead end south of Ravens Walk |
| North end |  A630 Sheffield Road |
Description and popularity
The street formerly known as Butt Hole Road is a small residential street within the town of Conisbrough in South Yorkshire. It begins at a dead end and runs north for 350 feet (110 m) to its northern end, where it intersects with the A630 Sheffield Road.[1] It intersects with two smaller streets, Butterbusk and Ravens Walk, and features four homes on its east side.[2] Prior to its name change, the street gained international notoriety for its suggestive naming, as "butthole" is a vulgar slang term for "anus" in American English, and can also be used as an insult.[3][4] In 2004, a Reuters article widely circulated on the internet about a family who moved out of their £150,000 bungalow on the street because they were embarrassed by the street's name.[5] Doncaster Council, the local governing body, has no record of where Butt Hole Road got its name but residents of the street believe that it was named after a communal water butt that was originally located in the area.[6][7] One resident living on the street initially thought the address "would be fun", but claimed that the novelty quickly wore off.[8] After a picture of the street sign appeared online, the street became so famous that tour buses would bring American tourists to visit, some of whom were seen taking pictures in front of the sign with their buttocks exposed.[2] The street sign was subjected to theft and had to be replaced multiple times.[7]
While it was a popular destination for tourists, residents reported that local businesses such as delivery and taxicab services would not serve those living on Butt Hole Road, as the companies believed that the name was a part of a practical joke.[9] Residents also claimed to have received many prank calls,[7] and some residents eventually had their phone numbers removed from public listings.[9] The name of the street inspired authors Ed Hurst and Rob Bailey to create the book Rude Britain, a compilation of "inappropriate" place names in Great Britain, after reading an article about a couple who purchased a house on the street.[6]
Name change
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.[citation needed] Planners allowed the change as all of the residents on the street were in favour of the new name. Because 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.[10] On 22 April 2009, the street was renamed to "Archers Way", in honour of the 930-year-old Conisbrough Castle, located half a mile (0.8 km) away.[8] Shortly after the name change, an informal Facebook petition was created to change the road back to its original name.[8] The renaming of the street gained worldwide attention and was featured in such international publications as The New Zealand Herald,[11] Bild (Germany),[12] and Het Laatste Nieuws (Belgium).[13]
In 2015, in reference to the name change of Butt Hole Road, residents of the similarly-named Butthole Lane in Shepshed, Leicestershire said they planned to keep the name of their street and were not bothered by the "puerile humour" that is affiliated with it, with one resident claiming that the street is "part of the tradition of Shepshed".[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Archers Way, Conisbrough, Doncaster DN12 3BN, UK" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ a b Dubroff, M Dee (27 May 2009). "What's in a Name? Ask Residents Living on Butt Hole Road". DigitalJournal.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
- ^ "Butthole". Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ^ "Butthole". Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Pearson Education. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
- ^ Lake, Matt (2007). Weird England. New York: Sterling Publishing. p. 203. ISBN 978-1-4027-4229-3.
- ^ a b Lyall, Sarah (22 January 2009). "No Snickering: That Road Sign Means Something Else". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
- ^ a b c "Family made butt of jokes". BBC News. 24 October 2003. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
- ^ a b c Kessen, David (27 May 2009). "Residents club together to finally change embarrassing street name". The Star. Yorkshire Post Newspapers. Archived from the original on 21 July 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
- ^ a b "What's in a Name? Everything When the Name is Butt" (reprint). Reuters. 24 October 2003. Archived from the original on 2 April 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
- ^ "Residents rename Butt Hole Road". RAC News. RAC plc. 28 May 2009. Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
- ^ Samways, Ana (29 May 2009). "Sideswipe: Butt Hole Road". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
- ^ ""A***-Loch-Straße" bekommt neuen Namen". Bild (in German). 9 June 2009. Archived from the original on 23 July 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
- ^ "Bewoners 'Kontgatstraat' veranderen straatnaam". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 27 May 2009. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
- ^ Wheaton, Oliver (10 March 2015). "People living on Butthole Lane say they would never change their street name". Metro. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.