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 name was preserved by the farm in the area, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Other historical names have been preserved by the street brands of the estate, which are linked with King Alfred, who was thought to have already been god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the titles of mills, houses and areas in the certain area.
Bellingham was farmland before Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London Town Council built about 2600 houses and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was among the many huge estates constructed by London City Council following the First World War to assist with slum clearance and alleviate 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 traditional 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 popular recent and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.
