Two tall slabs of dark granite stand at the top of the approach to Boscombe Pier, quiet sentinel-like markers greeting anyone arriving from Sea Road. The sculpture, called From Dawn Until Dusk, is by the artist Simon Hitchens and was installed in 2008 during Bournemouth Borough Council's regeneration of the Sea Road approach to the pier and the seafront.
The sculpture
The two slabs were drilled and split from one 30-tonne block of granite and then finished in contrasting grey and black. A circular disc caps each one, representing the sun on one and the moon on the other, angled to face east and west. There is nothing accidental about the motif: it picks up circular details on the Pump Island roundabout across the road, tying the sculpture into the streetscape that was redesigned around it. One landscape architect who worked on the scheme said the piece had turned an awkward, exposed site into a distinctive piece of urban design.
Visiting
Because the sculpture stands outdoors at the entrance to the pier, there is no entry fee and no opening hours; it is just part of the seafront to walk past or stop at on the way to Boscombe Pier and the beach. Plenty else lies along the bay to see and do; find more in our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.