Bellingham is a district in south east London, in the London Borough of Lewisham. Its neighbouring districts are Catford, Downham and Sydenham. The Ravensbourne River runs through the centre of Bellingham, and to the west and east it is bordered by railway lines working 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 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 road titles of the estate, which are linked with King Alfred, who was thought to have already been the lord of the manor of Lewisham, and were taken from the brands of mills, houses and areas in the area.
Bellingham was farmland until the 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 large estates constructed by London City Council after the First World War to assist with slum clearance and relieve overcrowding. As there is lots of land available the majority of the dwellings built were two-story homes, and there was plenty of green, open space.
Today, Bellingham is a localised city centre. Its high street is Randlesdown Road, which includes a supermarket, a gym, 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 previous Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, and the footballer Ian Wright.