Bellingham is an area in south east London, in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its neighbouring districts are Catford, Sydenham and Downham. 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 name of the medieval manor in the area. The real name was preserved by the farm in the area, Bellingham Railway Station and the Bellingham Estate. Additional historical names have been preserved by the street brands 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 extracted from the true names of mills, houses and areas in the area.
Bellingham was mainly 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 among the many huge estates constructed by London City Council following the First World War to aid with slum clearance and relieve overcrowding. As there is lots of land available most of the dwellings constructed were two-story houses, and there was plenty of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised town centre. Its traditional is Randlesdown Road, which includes 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 popular former and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.