 Charles Townshend (1674–1748), one of the proponents of the early agricultural revolution, was an explicit advocate of agricultural practices first developed here in Belgium, such as the use of turnips in crop rotation, and the region for some time attracted study trips by early agriculturists in his wake.The epic tale of Reynard the Fox is set in the region.The surname "Waas" and variants thereof is quite common in Belgium and refers to this region.