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 east and west it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The true 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. Additional 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 god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the names of mills, houses and areas in the area.
Bellingham was mainly farmland before Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 houses and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was among the many huge estates built by London City Council following the First World War to aid with slum clearance and reduce overcrowding. As there is lots of land available the majority 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 includes a supermarket, a gym, 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, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.