Bellingham is a district in south east London, in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its neighbouring districts are Catford, Downham and Sydenham. The Ravensbourne River runs through the centre of Bellingham, also to the east and west it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The real name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow belonging to Beora’s people’, and was the name of the medieval manor in the region. The name was preserved by the farm in the area, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Additional historical names have already been preserved by the road titles of the estate, which are connected with King Alfred, who was simply thought to have been god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were taken from the names of mills, houses and fields in the certain region.
Bellingham was farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, mostly between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 houses and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was among the many large estates constructed by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there is lots of land available most of the dwellings constructed were two-story homes, and there was plenty of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised town centre. Its high street is Randlesdown Road, which includes a supermarket, a gym, hairdressers and multiple restaurants and food outlets. It has a sixth form college also, and a church and a library. Bellingham boasts many famous past and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.