The village of Corfe Castle in Dorset surrounds the ruin of a castle which dates back to the 11th century. The castle stands on top of a 55m high hill and can be seen for miles around. The keep was built in the early 12th century for King Henry I, William the Conqueror's son. After six centuries of keeping enemies at bay, an Act of Parliament was passed at Wareham to destroy the castle. Soldiers used gunpowder to bring the towers and ramparts crashing down, resulting in the yawning gaps and crazy angles that can be seen today. After a brief period of confiscation, the castle was handed back to the Bankes family and remained in their ownership for three and a half centuries. In 1982 Ralph Bankes gave it to the National Trust.