Butt Hole Road
Encyclopedia
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, and is approximately 150 feet (47 m) long, intersecting with two streets—Butterbusk and Ravens Walk—at the south end. Because the street is very short, it houses only four homes, all of which are located on the east side of the street, numbered
1, 3, 5, and 7.
for "anus
" in American English
. 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. The Doncaster Council
, the local governing body, has no record of where Butt Hole Road got its name; however, residents of the street believe that it was named after a communal water butt
that was originally located in the area. One resident living on the street initially thought the address "would be fun", but claimed that the novelty quickly wore off. 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. The street sign was constantly stolen
over time, and tourists would be seen taking pictures in front of the sign with their buttocks exposed
.
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. Those living on the street would also receive phone calls from pranksters making a joke about the street name, and the residents eventually had their phone number become ex-directory. 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.
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. 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. 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. Shortly after the name change, an internet petition
was created to change the road back to its original name. The renaming of the street gained worldwide attention and was featured in such international publications as The New Zealand Herald
, Bild (Germany
), and Het Laatste Nieuws
(Belgium
).
Conisbrough
Conisbrough is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly midway between Doncaster and Rotherham, and is built alongside the River Don at...
, Doncaster
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, within the county of South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
. 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
DN postcode area
The DN postcode area, also known as the Doncaster postcode area, is a group of postcode districts around Barnetby, Barrow upon Humber, Barton-upon-Humber, Brigg, Cleethorpes, Doncaster, Gainsborough, Goole, Grimsby, Immingham, Retford, Scunthorpe and Ulceby in England.The S64 postcode district was...
of Conisbrough, and is approximately 150 feet (47 m) long, intersecting with two streets—Butterbusk and Ravens Walk—at the south end. Because the street is very short, it houses only four homes, all of which are located on the east side of the street, numbered
House numbering
House numbering is the system of giving a unique number to each building in a street or area, with the intention of making it easier to locate a particular building. The house number is often part of a postal address....
1, 3, 5, and 7.
Popularity and residential issues
The street gained notoriety in and out of England for its suggestive naming, as the term "butt hole" or "butthole" is slangSlang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for "anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
" in American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
. In 2004, a Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
article widely circulated on the internet about a family who moved out of their £150,000 bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
on the street, simply because they were embarrassed by the street's name. The Doncaster Council
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....
, the local governing body, has no record of where Butt Hole Road got its name; however, residents of the street believe that it was named after a communal water butt
Rainwater tank
A rainwater tank is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via rain gutters...
that was originally located in the area. One resident living on the street initially thought the address "would be fun", but claimed that the novelty quickly wore off. 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
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
to visit. The street sign was constantly stolen
Street sign theft
Street sign theft occurs when street signs are stolen, often to be used as decorations, but also sometimes to avoid obeying the law by claiming later the sign was not there. Although the theft often seems arbitrary, signs that are unusual or amusing tend to be stolen more frequently...
over time, and tourists would be seen taking pictures in front of the sign with their buttocks exposed
Mooning
Mooning is the act of displaying one's bare buttocks by removing clothing, e.g., by lowering the backside of one's trousers and underpants, usually bending over, whether also exposing the genitals or not...
.
While it was a popular destination for tourists, businesses such as delivery
Delivery (commerce)
Delivery is the process of transporting goods. Most goods are delivered through a transportation network. Cargo are primarily delivered via roads and railroads on land, shipping lanes on the sea and airline networks in the air...
and taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
services would not serve residents living on Butt Hole Road, believing that the name was simply a prank. Those living on the street would also receive phone calls from pranksters making a joke about the street name, and the residents eventually had their phone number become ex-directory. The name of the street inspired authors Ed Hurst and Rob Bailey to create the book Rude Britain
Rude Britain
Rude Britain is a 2005 book of British place names with seemingly rude or offensive meanings...
, which features a compilation of inappropriate place names in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, after reading an article about a couple who purchased a house on the street.
Name change
Urban planner
An urban planner or city planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning/land use planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community's land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically...
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. On 22 April 2009, the street was renamed to "Archers Way", named after the 930-year-old Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle is a 12th-century castle in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England, whose remains are dominated by the 97-foot high circular keep, which is supported by six buttresses. In the mid-1990s, the keep was restored, with a wooden roof and two floors being rebuilt...
, located half a mile (0.8 km) away. Shortly after the name change, an internet petition
Internet petition
An Internet petition is a form of petition posted on a website. Visitors to the website in question can add their email addresses or names, and after enough "signatures" have been collected, the resulting letter may be delivered to the subject of the petition, usually via e-mail.-Pros and cons:The...
was created to change the road back to its original name. The renaming of the street gained worldwide attention and was featured in such international publications as The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
, Bild (Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), and Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws is a Dutch language newspaper based in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of De Persgroep, and has a circulation of 292,410 copies, making it the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium.- Comics :During World War II, The...
(Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
).