Bellingham
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 centre of Bellingham, also to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The real name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow owned by Beora’s people’, and was the real name of the medieval manor in the region. The true name was preserved by the farm in the area, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Various other historical names have already been preserved by the street titles of the estate, which are connected with King Alfred, who was simply thought to have been god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the real names of mills, houses and fields in the area.
Bellingham was 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 among the many huge estates built by London City Council following the First World War to assist with slum clearance and relieve overcrowding. As there was lots of land available the majority of the dwellings constructed were two-story houses, and there was lots of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised town centre. Its traditional is Randlesdown Road, which has 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 famous former and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.
