Oxford Mission Church

The Church of the Epiphany at Barishal, universally called the Oxford Mission church, was consecrated in 1903 as the centre of the Oxford Mission Brotherhood of the Epiphany's work in East Bengal, and it is among the finest church buildings in Bangladesh: a large red-brick basilica with a high nave arcade on round columns, Greek-cross planning influences, a marble altar and a compound of mission buildings, ponds and trees around it. The design is attributed to Sister Edith of the mission. It remains an active Anglican church with a small congregation and a school in the compound. Visitors are received courteously, and the interior, cool and high, is worth the stop in a city with few sights.

What you actually see

• A red-brick basilica of 1903 - the finest colonial church in the region.
• The high columned nave - round columns under a tall roof.
• The mission compound - ponds, trees and school around the church.
• An active congregation - the church still in use.

When to go

November to March. One hour. Ask at the compound gate; access depends on who is present. Sunday services are the living side of it.

Honest expectations

Access depends on the mission staff and is not guaranteed. The compound is a working school and privacy matters. Interpretation is by conversation, not signage. Barishal offers little else nearby.

Nearby

Barishal city surrounds it; Durga Sagar lies west.