The Square is the central focal point of Bournemouth, where the seven main roads of the town centre converge. It was redesigned as a pedestrian square in the 1990s, with the little River Bourne running visibly through the middle, dropping into the Lower Gardens to the south. A clock tower marks the south side.
The Square is the natural starting point for exploring the town centre: the main shops are to the north on Old Christchurch Road and the Arcade, the Lower Gardens drop south to the pier, and the buses for Boscombe, Westbourne, and Poole leave from here. Buskers and street performers in summer.