Bellingham is a district in south east London, in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its neighbouring districts are Catford, Sydenham and Downham. The Ravensbourne River runs through the middle of Bellingham, also to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines working 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 area. The true name was preserved by the farm in the region, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Other historical names have been preserved by the street names of the estate, which are connected with King Alfred, who was thought to have already been the lord of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the names of mills, houses and fields in the area.
Bellingham was mainly farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, mostly between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 homes and flats during this time period. Bellingham Estate was one of many large estates constructed by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and alleviate overcrowding. As there was plenty of land available most of the dwellings constructed were two-story houses, and there was lots of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised town centre. Its traditional is Randlesdown Road, which has a supermarket, a fitness center, hairdressers and multiple restaurants and food outlets. It has a sixth form college also, and a church and a library. Bellingham boasts many popular past and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.