Toye House, 1 Kirkland Road, Toy and Kirkland, Killyleagh, Co. Down, BT30 9PQ

Toye House is a two storey farmhouse of probable mid 18th century origin, situated west of the Comber Road approximately 1.5 miles north of Killyleagh. Although its front façade appears to date from the mid 19th century, it was entirely remodelled around 1920 when large tripartite windows and an elliptical headed doorway were inserted.

The front (east) façade is symmetrical. At ground floor centre stands a panelled door with a broad three pane elliptical fanlight and sidelights featuring curving tracery. The sidelights have plain aprons, and the entire doorway ensemble is framed by a simple moulded surround with keystone and imposts. To the left of the doorway is a large square tripartite sash window with Georgian panes (two over two outer, six over six centre), flanked to the right by an identical window. The first floor contains three slightly squatter but still large windows. These windows appear somewhat outsized for the building, with very little gap between the openings of ground and first floors.

The south gable contains a relatively small sash window with Georgian panes (six over six) to the left on the ground floor. At its left hand edge, this gable merges with a high rendered wall with curving top, flanked by square gate pillars. The north gable is blank.

The rear façade is more complex. The far left of the ground floor abuts a single storey outbuilding linked to a larger two storey structure to the west, enclosing the yard on both north and west sides. To the immediate right of this outbuilding are two small-ish sash windows (four over four), followed by a very squat window with modern four pane frame and a larger window with modern frame containing an upper opener. At the far right edge abuts a single storey lean-to kitchen extension, which has a timber sheeted door to the north façade and two sash windows (two over two) to its west face. On the first floor of the rear façade, the far left contains a small-ish window with modern frame, followed by a sash window set at stair landing level with margin panes and coloured glass. At the far right is another small-ish sash window with Georgian panes (six over six). All 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 and features four evenly spaced red brick chimney stacks. The building contains a mixture of cast iron and PVC rainwater goods. To the west of the yard stands a two storey outbuilding with rough cast façade and corrugated iron covered gabled roof.

Toye House appears on Taylor and Skinner's 1777 road map, when it was in the hands of a Mr. Baillie, a relation of the Baillies of Ringdufferin House (one and a half miles to the east), a branch of the family that moved to the area permanently around 1674. While the present owner believes the house may date from the 1600s, this is not certain. The house remained a Baillie family possession until at least 1846. The 1837 valuation returns list it as the home of Clifford Trotter, indicating it was rented out by then. By 1856 it was leased to the Reverend Arthur Farrell, who remained in residence at the time of the 1861 valuation. After 1870, Toye House ceases to appear in area guides for houses of the gentry and clergy, indicating it had passed to a local farmer.

The overall shape of the building has altered little over time. The 1837 valuation confirms it had the same dimensions then as now, excluding the rear lean-to, and may well have been originally built as a two storey property. Around 1920, the then owner Mr. McKelvey completely remodelled the front façade by inserting the large tripartite windows and elliptical headed doorway. Photographs held by the present owner show the original façade had much smaller windows. Mr. McKelvey also appears to have installed many of the present fireplaces at this point and may have added the rear lean-to. Local folk memory suggests that Alfred, Lord Tennyson stayed at Toye House at some point, possibly around 1860 when the Reverend Farrell was resident, though this cannot be confirmed.

During most of the 20th century the property belonged to the McKelvey family.