The Ferrain or Pays de Ferrain (, ) is a natural and historical region of French Flanders.
Etymology The use of the name Ferrain is attested as early as the 14th century.
Geography
The region extends as a crescent shape running along the border with Belgium and starting from the Lys river in Halluin, Bousbecque and Comines and stopping at Lannoy, in the Southwest.
The Ferrain is a part of the North European Plain and is characterized by a low relief caused by outliers. The height reaches in Halluin. Its geology is composed of sand and clay.
It borders the Mélantois, Pévèle, Barœul and Valley of the Lys regions.
It is composed of the communes of Baisieux, Bondues, Bousbecque, Comines, Croix, Deûlémont, Forest-sur-Marque, Halluin, Hem, Lannoy, Leers Linselles, Lys-lez-Lannoy, Marcq-en-Barœul, Marquette-lez-Lille, Mouvaux, Neuville-en-Ferrain, Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, Roncq, Roubaix, Sailly-lez-Lannoy, Toufflers, Tourcoing, Wambrechies, Warneton, Wasquehal, Wattrelos, Wervicq-Sud, Willems
History
During the Middle-Ages, the Ferrain was a district of the castellania of Lille, one of the 20 baronies of the County of Flanders..
Culture Language
During the 19th century, the Flemish language was spoken in communes south of the Lys river in Warneton, Wervicq, Halluin and Roncq. In the circum-lillois, conferences were held in Flemish in the communes of Armentières, Croix, Roubaix and Tourcoing. The language was still used popularly after 1891 in masses at Roncq.
Despite not being the popular languages of the Ferrain, Flemish remained a language spoken by the working class until the 20th century.
References