Steenwerck

Sister cities

• Hemer

History

Steenwerck was created by the Franks. The first mention in the 12th century – in 1160 with the invasion by La Becque, from Saint-Jans-Cappel. Commerce was originally started by the town's founder, la Becque, who built canals with locks right up to Lys. The local weavers were able to deliver their bolts of cloth to the port situated in the town centre from where they would be sent on to the clothes manufacturing town of Armentièrs. The boats used were called martsheps, that is, 'market boats', which were flat bottomed boats. It was by using these boats that local farmers were able to deliver their produce to the neighbouring towns. Boats of this type were used right up until the middle of the 19th century.