Westbourne has become a fashionable area of Bournemouth, but it is the Victorian covered shopping arcade that I really like.
Built in 1884 by Henry Joy, who lived in Seamoor House it is full of interesting shops as well as The 'Bournemouth Colosseum' a classic 19 seat cinema including a Royal Box, it is the smallest in the UK.
The most dramatic incident in the Arcade’s history occurred during World War 2, when a bomb landed in nearby R L Stevenson Avenue. The explosion destroyed virtually all the glass in the Arcade roof, although the main structure fortunately suffered little damage. Certain other original features remain, however, including the fantastic and charming gargoyles at the heads of drainpipes, said to represent water gods.
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