The history of Butler's Farm and Emmerdale Farm

Robert’s first action is to proudly reinstate the dug-up old farm sign, renaming the land from Butler’s Farm to Emmerdale Farm. The move has sparked some...
Carena Crawford
By Carena Crawford

Robert’s first action is to proudly reinstate the dug-up old farm sign, renaming the land from Butler’s Farm to Emmerdale Farm.

The move has sparked some confusion over exactly where Emmerdale Farm ends and Butler’s begins as they used to be two separate farms…

History of Butler’s Farm in Emmerdale

The farm was originally owned by a local man called Wilf Butler, who gave his name to the farm.

It was first seen on screen in 2003 when Wilf, played by Peter Armitage, was almost bankrupt. With the farm in poverty Jack Sugden helped him out.

Andy Sugden then decided he wanted to have a go at running his own holding. He and first wife Katie Addyman took over the tenancy and the young couple grafted all hours to keep the farm running.

Following his divorce from Katie, Andy married Jo Stiles, but the pair split due to Andy’s violent behaviour.

Andy struggled to run the farm on his own, and when Jo sold all of Butler’s equipment and livestock he was left with nothing. He subsequently suffered a complete mental breakdown and was forced to give up the farm.

In 2009 it was taken over by the Bartons, who have run it until its recent sale to the Tates.

The history of Emmerdale Farm

Emmerdale Farm was leased to the Sugden family from the 1800s. Jacob Sugden took it over in the 1930s and it was his funeral that was in the first ever episode of Emmerdale.

Jacob left the farm to son Jack Sugden and eventually Henry Wilkes purchased the freehold. The company, Emmerdale Farm Ltd, ended up buying several other farms inclyding Jameson’s Farm and Mowlam’s Farm. 

In 1993 it was revealed the farmhouse and nearby land were suffering subsidence. Jack and the family had to move out to Hawthorn Cottage, which was previously Jameson’s Farm. The original farm land was still farmed on.

The farm itself then stood ruined from May 1993, but was later demolished with just some foundations left.

Annie Sugden kept hold of some of the land however and left it to Victoria in her will. Victoria later sold to Moira and it became part of Butler’s.

However Robert and Victoria bought Annie’s Field back, only to be blackmailed into selling it to the Tates last month.

Robert then discovered the old Emmerdale Frm sign in the buried foundations and now he is the tenant farmer at Butler’s plans to restore and rebuild the original Emmerdale Farm.