Toye House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Toye House is a two storey farmhouse of probable mid 18th century origin whose front façade (though ostensibly mid 19th century looking), was completely remodelled in c.1920. The house is situated to the W of the Comber Road, c.1.5 miles N of Killyleagh.

The front (E) façade is symmetrical. To the centre of the ground floor is a panelled door with broad, three pane elliptical fanlight and sidelights with curving tracery. The sidelights have plain aprons and the whole doorway ensemble has a simple moulded surround with keystone and imposts. To the left of the doorway is quite a large square tripartite sash window with Georgian panes (two over two outer, six over six centre). This window has a simple moulded surround. To the right is an identical window and to the first floor are three slightly squatter (but still large) windows. The windows to this façade though traditional in appearance are all somewhat outsized and there is a very small gap between the openings to the ground and first floor.

The S gable has a relatively small sash window (with Georgian panes- six over six) to the left on the ground floor. To its left hand edge this gable merges with a high rendered wall with curving top and square gate pillar (with other gate pillar to W). The N gable is blank.

To the far left of the ground floor of the rear façade there abuts a single storey outbuilding (which links to a larger two storey outbuilding to the W, thus enclosing the yard to both N and W sides). The immediate left of this are two small-ish sash windows (four over four). To the right of these is a very squat window with modern four pane frame and then a larger window with modern frame with upper opener. To the very right hand edge of this window there abuts a single storey lean to kitchen extension. This has a timber sheeted door to N façade and two sash windows (two over two) to its W face.

To the far left on the first floor of the rear façade is a small-ish window with modern frame. To the right of this (and set at stair landing level) is a sash window with margin panes and coloured glass. To the far right of the façade is another small-ish sash window (with Georgian panes six over six). All the rear windows have simple surrounds with ‘shoulders’.
The entire façade is finished in painted lined render with chamfered quoins. The gabled roof is covered with asbestos slates with four evenly spaced red brick chimney stacks. Mixture of cast iron and PVC rw goods.

To the W of the yard is a two storey outbuilding with a rough cast façade and corrugated iron covered gabled roof.

Historical information

Toye House is shown on Taylor and Skinner’s 1777 road map of this area when it was in the hands of a ‘Mr. Baillie’. This Baillie was a relation of the Baillies of Ringdufferin House a mile and a half to the east of this, a branch of the family originally from Inishargy (near Kircubbin), who had moved to this area on a permanent basis in c.1674. Toye House may (as the present owner thinks) date from the 1600s itself, but this is not certain.

The house remained a Baillie family possession until at least 1846, but appears to have been rented out prior to this for the 1837 valuation returns list it as the home of one Clifford Trotter. By 1856 it was leased to the Rev. Arthur Farrell, who was still in residence at the time of the 1861 valuation. After 1870, Toye ceases to be mentioned amongst the houses of the gentry and clergy in any of the guides for the area, which indicates that it had passed into the hands of a local farmer. During most of the 20th century the property belonged to the McKelvey family.

The overall shape of Toye House has changed little over the years. We know from the 1837 valuation that the building had the same dimensions then as it does now (excluding the rear lean to), and may well have originally been built as a two storey property. Around 1920, however, the then owner, Mr. McKelvey, completely remodelled the front façade by inserting the large tripartite windows and elliptical headed doorway. The present owner (who has photographs of the house before the alteration) states that the façade originally had ‘much smaller pokey windows’. Mr. Kelvey also appears to have installed many of the present fire places at this point also and may have added the rear lean to.

Local folk memory suggests that Alfred, Lord Tennyson stayed in Toye House at some point. The writers have been unable to confirm this, but it may have taken place in c.1860, when Rev. Farrell was resident.

References- Primary sources
1 ‘Taylor’s & Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland’ (Dublin 1777), map 281.
2 Linen Hall Library ‘Pigot & Co.’s Dublin and Hibernian Provincial Directory’ (Manchester 1824), p.389.
3 PRONI OS/1/3/24 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 24.
4 PRONI VAL/1B/336 p.36 First valuation, Killyleagh, 1837.
5 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1846), p.472.
6 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1856), p.537.
7 PRONI OS/6/3/24/2 OS map, 1st rev., 1859, Co. Down 24.
8 PRONI Second valuation, Killyleagh, 1861. [In print in PRONI search room and Linen Hall Library.]
9 Linen Hall Library ‘Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland’ (Manchester 1870).
10 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.402-3.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Two storey house of probable mid 18th century origin, whose ostensibly mid 19th century looking façade is actually the product of a c.1920 remodelling when the large (arguably outsized), tripartite windows were inserted as well as the elliptical headed doorway.