Talygarn Court, a mainly Victorian House (nprn 20029), is situated on elevated ground to the south-east of Pontyclun village. The house, with its surrounding estate, is largely the work of George Thomas Clark (1809-1898), a prominent industrialist and antiquary of medieval Glamorgan. The house lies centrally within a woodland park (700154). This and gardens around the house were largely created after 1877 and include speciment trees of considerable rarity.
The gardens lie to the north, west, and south of the house, forming three distinct areas. On the north is a large sunken formal garden surrounded by trees and an informal shrubbery; on the south is a formal terraced garden on ground falling away to the woodland park; and to the west an informal arboretum area of grass planted with specimen mixed trees. 

The sunken garden, below the forecourt, is laid out to lawn, divided into four quarters by wide tarmac cross paths, and in the centre of each quarter a raised octagonal bed within a low wall. At the central path intersection is an octagonal brick-lined pool with steps on the north side. The garden is surrounded on all but the south side by belts of mixed ornamental trees and shrubs, the east side traversed with narrow stone-edged winding paths.

To the south of the house is a terraced garden, bounded by a rubble stone revetment wall and drive, running from the east end of the house to the west end. A large level lawn in front of the house is planted with specimen trees. A path runs east-west across its middle and another beside the house. On its east side the lawn is bounded by a yew hedge and a stone and brick wall with an ornamental Tudor stone archway gate at its northern end (20030). At the west end of the house is the raised floor of the former conservatory, with marble and slate tiles, and accessed by flights of steps. The west end of the garden south of the house is occupied by more recent hospital buildings, lawn and cypress trees. At the east end of the lawn a flight of steps leads down to a lower, narrow, terrace, laid out with a flagstone path flanked by narrow grass strips and flowerbeds. The lower revetment wall, is capped by a low arching balustrade. On the south side of the terrace is a parapet wall at the east end of which is the site of a former tower, now gone. A flight of stone steps leads down to the lowest, third terrace, a quadrilateral area of lawn laid out formally with island rose beds arranged around an ornate sundial .

The third main garden area, the woodland grounds, lie to the west and south-west of the house. This is a large, gently sloping informal area laid out as an ornamental arboretum, with mature specimen trees, both deciduous and coniferous, including Californian redwoods, Wellingtonias and Japanese cedars, set in grass with some laurel underplanting.

A kitchen garden is located to the east of the house (700155).

Sources:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan, 148-52 (ref: PGW(Gm)8(RCT)).
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, sheet: Glamorgan XLII (edition of 1914).

RCAHMW, 12 May 2022