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 middle of Bellingham, and to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines jogging south from Catford.
The name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow belonging to Beora’s people’, and was the true 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 simply thought to have already been the lord of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the titles of mills, houses and areas in the certain area.
Bellingham was mainly farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, mostly between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 houses and flats during this time. Bellingham Estate was one of many large estates constructed by London City Council after the First World War to aid 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 town centre. Its high street 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.