Along the section of the Boscombe Arts Trail leading towards the shopping precinct, between Argyll Road and Horace Road, stands one of its more playful figures: Verne. An octopus supports a diving helmet on top, a design directly referencing Jules Verne and his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, one among several literary and historical nods built into the trail.
The Boscombe Arts Trail
Verne belongs to a set of seven sculptures commissioned in 2010 from Dorset sculptor Andy Kirkby, selected by a panel combining arts professionals, local residents and ward councillors as part of Boscombe's seafront regeneration. Marine themes and shared materials, bronze, copper and cast iron, run through the pieces, tied together by a recurring gilded rope motif. Other surviving trail works include Optic, a marble sphere caged inside park bench railings on Sea Road, and Murano, a Venetian-style glass dome looking out over Boscombe Pier.
Visiting
Standing in the open air, Verne can be viewed at any time, free of charge, as part of a walk along the Boscombe Arts Trail. Our guide to things to do in Bournemouth covers more of the area's outdoor art and seafront walking routes.
