Bellingham is a district 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 working 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 true name was preserved by the farm in the area, 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 god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the names of mills, houses and fields in the area.
Bellingham was farmland until the 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 assist with slum clearance and alleviate overcrowding. As there is lots of land available most of the dwellings built were two-story houses, and there was plenty of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised city 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 past and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.