Bellingham is an area in south east London, in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its neighbouring districts are Catford, Downham and Sydenham. The Ravensbourne River runs through the middle 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 real name of the medieval manor in the area. The real name was preserved by the farm in the region, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Additional historical names have already been preserved by the road brands 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 names of mills, houses and fields in the certain region.
Bellingham was mainly farmland before 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 huge estates built by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there was plenty of land available the majority of the dwellings built were two-story houses, and there was lots of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised city 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.