One of the other founders. Sir Robert Hunter, lived in Surrey and was instrumental in securing the future of Box Hill at a time when it could well have been swallowed up in the suburban growth of London. In 1912 94 hectares (230 acres) of Box Hill were offered for sale on the open market. After difficult and protracted negotiations, this parcel of land was purchased for the nation by Leopold Salomons of nearby Norbury Park for £16,000 and given to the National Trust in 1914. Since then the Box Hill estate has expanded through purchase, legacies and gifts; today it covers some 490 hectares (1,200 acres), including Mickleham Downs. All countryside has to be managed, and Box Hill is no exception. From 1914 a Management Committee comprised mainly of local people ran the property until 1991, when the Trust introduced a professional management system. The Management Committee now acts in an advisory capacity, and a group called the Friends of Box Hill supports the property by raising vital funds, while the National Trust's skilled countryside staff carry out the day-to-day work under the director of the Head Warden, who is responsible for both Box Hill and Headley Heath.

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