Bellingham
Bellingham is an area 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, 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 name was preserved by the farm in the region, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Other historical names have already been preserved by the road brands 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 extracted from the names of mills, houses and areas in the area.
Bellingham was mainly farmland before Bellingham Estate was built, mostly between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 houses and flats in this time. Bellingham Estate was one of many huge estates constructed by London City Council following the First World War to assist with slum clearance and relieve overcrowding. As there is plenty of land available the majority of the dwellings constructed were two-story homes, and there was lots 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 also has a sixth form college, and a church and a library. Bellingham boasts many well-known past and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.
