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 middle of Bellingham, also to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines working south from Catford.
The true name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow belonging to Beora’s people’, and was the true 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. Various other historical names have already been preserved by the street brands of the estate, which are linked with King Alfred, who was simply thought to have been the lord of the manor of Lewisham, and were taken from the names of mills, houses and areas in the certain area.
Bellingham was mainly farmland until the Bellingham Estate was built, between 1920 and 1923. London City Council built about 2600 homes and flats during this time period. Bellingham Estate was one of many large estates built by London City Council following the First World War to aid with slum clearance and alleviate overcrowding. As there was 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 town 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 well-known former and present residents, like the singer/song-writer Kate Bush, the previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.