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 middle of Bellingham, and to the east and west it is bordered by railway lines running south from Catford.
The real name Bellingham means ‘the water-meadow owned by Beora’s people’, and was the real 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 been preserved by the street brands of the estate, which are linked with King Alfred, who was thought to have already been god, the father of the manor of Lewisham, and were extracted from the titles of mills, houses and areas in the area.
Bellingham was farmland before Bellingham Estate was built, mostly between 1920 and 1923. London Town Council built about 2600 houses and flats in this time. Bellingham Estate was among the many huge estates constructed by London City Council after the First World War to assist with slum clearance and alleviate overcrowding. As there is plenty of land available the majority of the dwellings constructed were two-story houses, and there was plenty of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised city 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 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.