A butt is an archery shooting field, with mounds of earth used for the targets.
In medieval times, it was compulsory for all yeomen in England to learn archery; see for example An Act concerning shooting in Long Bows, passed in the third year of Henry VIII's reign.
Several English towns have districts called "The Butts", but they may not always take their names from archery.
The Middle English word "butt" referred to an abutting strip of land, and is often associated with medieval field systems.
A butt can also be an earthen bank, usually a horseshoe shape and often lined with sandbags, corrugated metal, or drystone walling, from which sportsmen can take cover, hide, and shoot at game birds.