Bellingham
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, and to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines working south from Catford.
The name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow belonging to Beora’s people’, and was the name of the medieval manor in the area. The real 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 street titles of the estate, which are connected with King Alfred, who was simply thought to have been the lord of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the titles of mills, houses and areas in the certain region.
Bellingham was farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London Town Council built about 2600 houses and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was one of many large estates built by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there was 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 city centre. Its high street is Randlesdown Road, which includes 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 famous past and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.