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, and to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The true 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. Various other historical names have been preserved by the road brands of the estate, which are connected with King Alfred, who was thought to have already been god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were taken from the true names of mills, houses and areas in the area.
Bellingham was farmland before Bellingham Estate was built, mostly between 1920 and 1923. London Town Council built about 2600 houses and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was among the many huge estates built by London City Council after 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 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 fitness center, hairdressers and multiple restaurants and food outlets. It has a sixth form college also, and a church and a library. Bellingham boasts many famous former and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.
