Flowing gently through Lille and beyond La Lys tells tales of industry and conflict. It is also known as the River Leie. La Lys rises in Pas-de-Calais. This is east of Fruges in France. Its journey concludes as it flows into the Scheldt River in Ghent, Belgium. The total length of La Lys stretches 202 kilometers. This equates to 126 miles.
Historically, La Lys suffered from severe pollution due to dense populations and industrial activities. This was especially true in Northern France and Belgium. However, improvements have been made. These improvements are partially attributed to the decline of flax spinning and weaving. This was once a principal industry in the area. Between Deinze and Ghent, the Leie region attracted painters in the early 20th century. It became a favored spot for their artistic endeavors.
La Lys touches many towns. These include Thérouanne and Aire-sur-la-Lys in Pas-de-Calais. Merville Armentières and Halluin are in Nord. Comines-Warneton is in Hainaut. Menen Wevelgem Kortrijk Waregem and Wervik are in West Flanders. Zulte Deinze and Ghent are in East Flanders.
Several tributaries feed into La Lys. From its source to its mouth, these include Laquette Clarence and Lawe. Others are Deûle Gaverbeek Heulebeek and Mandel.
La Lys has been a site of significant battles. During World War I, it was the scene of the First and Second Battles of the Lys in 1918. These battles were part of the German Spring Offensive and the Allies’ Hundred Days Offensive. In World War II, the Battle of the Lys occurred in 1940. This was part of the German offensive in Flanders towards the English Channel. The Battle of the Lys in 1940 was a major clash. It involved Belgian and German forces during the German invasion of Belgium. The battlefield was named after the Leie, as La Lys is known locally.
From the Middle Ages, La Lys served as a commercial navigation route. Around 1670, major works began to address devastating floods. These works included meander cut-offs. By 1780, six locks and weirs overcame the nine-meter elevation difference. This was between Aire-sur-la-Lys and the border. The river carried substantial traffic in grain and linen to Ghent and Antwerp.
Around 1825, a company leased the navigation rights. They upgraded the locks to accommodate larger vessels. Tragedy struck in December 1899. Over 40 schoolchildren drowned when the frozen river gave way. They were skating at Frelinghien.
Later the Freycinet programme deepened La Lys. In 1930, the section below Armentières was enlarged to class III. From 1960, the border section improved to class Va. This is part of the EU’s priority project 30 for the Seine-Escaut waterway. Today, the upstream section primarily serves recreational craft. It is heavily silted. So La Lys continues to flow. It connects communities and carries stories of the past.