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 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 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 street titles 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 brands 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 homes and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was one of many large estates built by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and alleviate 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 town centre. Its high street 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 well-known former and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.