At the top of the approach to Boscombe Pier stand two tall, dark granite slabs, quiet, sentinel-like markers that greet visitors arriving from Sea Road. Titled From Dawn Until Dusk, the sculpture is the work of artist Simon Hitchens, installed in 2008 as part of Bournemouth Borough Council's regeneration of the Sea Road approach to the pier and seafront.
The sculpture
Both slabs were drilled and split from a single 30-tonne block of granite, then finished in contrasting black and grey. Each is capped with a circular disc, one representing the sun, the other the moon, angled to face east and west. The motif isn't accidental: it echoes circular details on the Pump Island roundabout opposite, knitting the sculpture into the wider streetscape that was redesigned around it. A landscape architect involved in the scheme credited the piece with transforming what had been an awkward, exposed site into a distinctive piece of urban design.
Visiting
The sculpture stands in the open air at the pier entrance, so there's no admission charge and no set opening hours, it's simply part of the seafront to walk past, or pause at, on the way to Boscombe Pier and beach. It sits alongside the many other things to see and do around the bay; explore more in our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.