Ledringhem

The Wormhoudt massacre (or Wormhout massacre) was the mass murder of 81 British and French POWs by Waffen-SS soldiers from the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during the Battle of France in May 1940.

Brasserie Thiriez is a small craft brewery located in Esquelbecq, a town in the Arrondissement of Dunkirk in the Nord département, in the Hauts-de-France région of France, quite close to the Belgian border. It is situated on the grounds that formerly housed the Poitevin farm brewery, which was active and served the local area until 1945. The current brewery was founded in 1996 by Daniel Thiriez, who had become interested in homebrewing as a college student, and later left his career as a "human resources professional for a large supermarket chain" in the interest of reviving the tradition of the small village brewery. It exports beers in Europe, and the USA. The brewery's focus is generally on light to medium-colored top-fermented beers with a pronounced hop presence, reflective both of some of the historic beers of the region and the owner's personal preference. There is a tasting room and tap on the brewery premises, at which bottled beer can also be purchased. The products are available in 33cl and 75cl glass bottles, large 2L growlers and on tap.

Esquelbecq (French pronunciation: [ɛskɛlbɛk]; from West Flemish: Ekelsbeke) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Its southern limit with Ledringhem is chemin de Rubrouck.

Wormhout (French pronunciation: [wɔʁmut]; before 1975: Wormhoudt; West Flemish: Wormout) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Several people in Wormhout still speak West Flemish, a local dialect of Dutch and the traditional language of the region, while French-speakers form a majority, due to centuries of French political and cultural influence. The town's name is of Germanic origin, meaning "Wormwood." Neighbouring towns and villages : Ledringhem to the south-west, separated by river Peene Becque Esquelbecq

Wormhout cemetery (French: Cimetière de Wormhout; Dutch: Begraafplaats van Wormhout) is a communal cemetery of Wormhout in the French department Nord. The site is located 700 metres north of the centre (municipal hall) at the Cours N4 du Cimetière.

The Peene Becque (West Flemish: Penebeke) is a small river in the Nord department in France. It is 24 km (15 mi) long. The word Peene may be related to the modern Dutch word Peen that refers to the wild carrot plant (Daucus carota), while becque is the transliteration of the Dutch word beek, referring to a small stream (compare the English word beck). The Peene Becque has its source in Sainte-Marie-Cappel, south of Mont Cassel, flows first west through Oxelaëre and Bavinchove, then takes a north-eastern direction through Zuytpeene, Noordpeene, Ochtezeele, Arnèke, Ledringhem, Wormhout and Wylder where it ends its course by flowing into the Franco-Belgian river Yser. The Peene Becque constitutes a natural border between the villages of Arnèke and Ledringhem (to the south), between Ledringhem and Zermezeele and between Ledringhem and Wormhout.

Bissezeele (French pronunciation: [bisəzɛl]; from Dutch; Bissezele in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.

Zegerscappel (French pronunciation: [zeɡɛʁskapɛl]; from Dutch; Zegerskappel in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is 15 km (9 mi) south of Dunkerque.

Bavinchove (French pronunciation: [bavɛ̃kɔv]; from Dutch; Bavinkhove in modern Dutch spelling) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.

The Battle of Cassel was fought in February 1071 between Robert I of Flanders (or Robert the Frisian) and his nephew, Arnulf III (son of Baldwin VI of Flanders). The battle was a victory for Robert, and Arnulf was killed in the battle.Arnulf succeeded his father Baldwin in 1070 and was supported by his mother Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut. However, Robert challenged Arnulf's succession to the throne of Flanders and began rallying support mainly in northern Flanders (where the bulk of Arnulf's forces were located). Arnulf's ranks contained individuals such as Count Eustace II of Boulogne and Count Eustace III of Boulogne. Moreover, Arnulf was supported by King Philip I of France since Philip's aunt, Adela, married Baldwin V of Flanders. A contingent of ten Norman knights led by William FitzOsbern were among the forces sent by Philip to aid Arnulf.Robert's forces attacked Arnulf's numerically superior army before it could organize. Arnulf himself was killed along with William FitzOsbern, while Richilde was captured by Robert's forces. However, Robert himself was also captured by Eustace II. Ultimately, Richilde was exchanged for Robert's freedom.Robert became count of Flanders and ruled until 1093. He gained the friendship of King Philip by offering him the hand in marriage of his stepdaughter, Bertha of Holland.

Cassel (French pronunciation: [kasɛl]; Dutch: Kassel) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Built on a prominent hill overlooking French Flanders, the town has existed since Roman times. It was developed by the Romans into an important urban centre and was the focus of a network of roads, which are still in use today, that converge on the hill. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Cassel became an important fortified stronghold for the rulers of Flanders which was repeatedly fought over before finally being annexed to France in the 17th century. It was the headquarters of Marshal Ferdinand Foch during part of the First World War. In 1940, during the German invasion of France, Cassel was the scene of a fierce three-day battle between British forces (led in part by Major Ronald Cartland, MP) and German forces which resulted in much of the town being destroyed. The town, which was rebuilt following the war, is a popular destination for visitors to French Flanders. It is renowned for its extensive views from the summit of Mont Cassel and is the location of the Nord department's principal museum of local art, history and folklore. It is also the home of the legendary giants Reuze-Papa and Reuze-Maman, which are paraded in effigy each Easter during the town's annual carnival.

The Battle of Cassel, also known as the Battle of Peene, took place on 11 April 1677 during the Franco-Dutch War, near Cassel, 15 km (9 mi) west of Saint-Omer. A French army commanded by the duc de Luxembourg defeated a combined Dutch–Spanish force under William of Orange. At the start of 1677, peace negotiations opened at Nijmegen; France already held most of the positions in the Spanish Netherlands that Louis XIV of France considered necessary for a defensible border. This would be completed by taking St-Omer and Cambrai, which he wanted to capture as soon as possible, allowing him to negotiate from a position of strength. While William could not save St-Omer, he was determined to fight for Cambrai, leading to the battle outside Cassel. After initial cavalry attacks by both sides were repulsed, a fierce struggle began between the two sets of infantry. The French infantry on the right drove back the Dutch left, which was then scattered by a French cavalry assault. Meanwhile, an Allied attack launched from their own right was fended off by the French left. In the centre, the Dutch nearly broke through the French lines, before being thrown back by a cavalry charge led by Philippe of Orléans. His flanks crumbling, in late afternoon William ordered a retreat. Although the French missed an opportunity for a rout by delaying their pursuit to plunder the Allies' abandoned baggage, Cassel was one of the most comprehensive victories of the war. Saint-Omer and Cambrai surrendered shortly afterwards, followed by a number of other towns.