Bellingham
Bellingham is a district 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, and to the east and west it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The 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. Additional historical names have already been preserved by the road brands 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 fields in the area.
Bellingham was farmland before Bellingham Estate was built, mostly between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 houses and flats in this time. Bellingham Estate was among the many large estates built by London City Council after the First World War to assist with slum clearance and relieve overcrowding. As there was lots of land available most of the dwellings constructed were two-story homes, 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 also has a sixth form college, and a church and a library. Bellingham boasts many well-known recent and present residents, including the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.
