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, and to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines jogging 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 region. The name was preserved by the farm in the region, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Other historical names have been preserved by the street names of the estate, which are connected with King Alfred, who was simply thought to have already been the lord of the manor of Lewisham, and were taken from the titles of mills, houses and areas in the certain area.
Bellingham was mainly farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 homes and flats during this time period. Bellingham Estate was among the many large estates constructed by London City Council after the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there was plenty of land available most 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 gym, hairdressers and multiple restaurants and food outlets. It has a sixth form college also, and a church and a library. Bellingham boasts many popular recent and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.