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, and to the east and west it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow belonging to Beora’s people’, and was the true name of the medieval manor in the region. The true name was preserved by the farm in the area, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Various other historical names have been preserved by the road names of the estate, which are linked with King Alfred, who was thought to have already been the lord of the manor of Lewisham, and were taken from the titles of mills, houses and areas in the certain area.
Bellingham was mainly farmland before Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London Town Council built about 2600 houses and flats in this time. Bellingham Estate was among the many huge estates built by London City Council following the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there was lots of land available the majority of the dwellings constructed were two-story houses, 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 well-known past and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.
