The church building was originally built at the end of the 19th century but destroyed, together with the vicarage, during WW2 as a result of enemy action. Canadian engineers built Canada Hall as a temporary church, giving the building its unique prairies architecture, from the rubble of the old church and the vicarage. A new church was built in the 1950s and Canada Hall became instead the church hall. It has recently undergone major refurbishment.

The Link Building connecting the church building and Canada Hall was completed in 2014 and is now in use.

Canada Hall

On the evening of Saturday, 19th April 1941, a German bomber, dropped a parachute mine on South Merstham. It landed on waste ground directly opposite All Saints Church. The resultant explosion was devastating. It demolished half the church, wrecked the vicarage and blew out the windows of houses over a wide area. Nine local people and one soldier were killed, many more were wounded, including the vicar – the Rev. Henry Baker.

For two years South Merstham was without its parish church and all efforts to build a temporary replacement floundered until 1943 when The Rev. Captain George Hedley Wolfendale returned to the area.

Wolfendale, who had emigrated to Canada as a young man, was an Anglican priest who had enlisted immediately on the outbreak of war. There being a waiting list for chaplains, he started his war service as a medical orderly for the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps based at Nutfield Priory. In the short while that he was billeted nearby, he became an integral part of the life of All Saints; even taking over spiritual duties from Rev. Baker when the latter was incapacitated from his injuries caused by the bomb blast. Wolfendale left the area when promoted and appointed as Chaplain to Canadian troops based in Sussex. He was later transferred to the Royal Canadian Engineers based at Horley and his association with All Saints was renewed in early 1943.

It was Wolfendale who was the inspiration and driving force behind the building of a temporary church. Beating down all objections and cutting through red tape work began on ‘the Canadian Church’ on 22nd March 1943. Eighteen handpicked men from the Royal Canadian Engineers, supplemented by a volunteer party of 14 others, completed the work in just 33 days, using materials salvaged from the destroyed church and vicarage; the only materials paid for being cement and paint.

The resulting church was consecrated by the Bishop of Southwark on Easter Day, 25th April 1943. It was one of only two places of worship built and consecrated during the 2nd World War.

On 19th April 1952, the current All Saints Church was consecrated on the site of the old. The temporary church, having served as a centre of worship for nine years, became known as Canada Hall and began its current role as a church and community hall.