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 centre of Bellingham, also to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The true name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow owned by Beora’s people’, and was the real 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 titles 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 taken from the true names of mills, houses and areas in the certain region.
Bellingham was farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 houses and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was one of many huge estates built by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there is plenty of land available the majority of the dwellings built 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 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 famous past and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.
