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| Bellingham | |
|---|---|
.jpg) St Dunstan's Church, Bellingham | |
  Bellingham Location withinGreater London | |
| Population | 14,775 (2011 Census. Ward)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ375715 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | SE6 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°25′52″N0°01′28″W / 51.4311°N 0.0245°W /51.4311; -0.0245 | |
Bellingham (/ˈbɛlɪŋəm/BEL-ing-əm) is an area ofsouth-east London, England, within theLondon Borough of Lewisham. It lies south ofCatford, east ofSydenham and north ofBeckenham, and is part of the Catford postal district (SE6).
| Estate name | Area | No of dwellings | Population 1938 | Population density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-1914 | ||||
| Norbury | 11 | 218 | 867 | 19.8 per acre (49/ha) |
| Old Oak | 32 | 736 | 3519 | 23 per acre (57/ha) |
| Totterdown Fields | 39 | 1262 | — | 32.4 per acre (80/ha) |
| Tower Gardens White Hart Lane | 98 | 783 | 5936 | 8 per acre (20/ha) |
| 1919–1923 | ||||
| Becontree | 2770 | 25769[a] | 115652 | 9.3 per acre (23/ha) |
| Bellingham | 252 | 2673 | 12004 | 10.6 per acre (26/ha) |
| Castelnau | 51 | 644 | 2851 | 12.6 per acre (31/ha) |
| Dover House Estate Roehampton Estate | 147 | 1212 | 5383 | 8.2 per acre (20/ha) |
| 1924–1933 | ||||
| Downham | 600 | 7096 | 30032 | 11.8 per acre (29/ha) |
| Mottingham | 202 | 2337 | 9009 | 11.6 per acre (29/ha) |
| St Helier | 825 | 9068 | 39877 | 11 per acre (27/ha) |
| Watling | 386 | 4034 | 19110 | 10.5 per acre (26/ha) |
| Wormholt | 68 | 783 | 4078 | 11.5 per acre (28/ha) |
| 1934–1939 | ||||
| Chingford[b] | 217 | 1540 | — | 7.1 per acre (18/ha) |
| Hanwell(Ealing) | 140 | 1587 | 6732 | 11.3 per acre (28/ha) |
| Headstone Lane | 142 | n.a | 5000 | |
| Kenmore Park | 58 | 654 | 2078 | 11.3 per acre (28/ha) |
| Thornhill (Royal Borough of Greenwich) | 21 | 380 | 1598 | 18.1 per acre (45/ha) |
| Whitefoot Lane (Downham) | 49 | n.a | n.a. | |
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According to author and historianNick Barratt, there was certainly aSaxon community at Bellingham.[2] In 10th-century Anglo-Saxon charters, the place is referred to asBeringaham and by 1198 the name had changed from starting with 'Ber' to 'Bel' throughNorman influence.[3] Some streets in Bellingham are named after the Saxon kingAlfred the Great and his extended family: King Alfred Avenue, Elfrida Crescent and Arnulf Street.
The area was farmland for centuries, but theLondon County Council developed acottage estate from 1919 to 1923 on the former Bellingham Farm,[4] and was completed beforeWorld War II.[5] The estate is bordered to the east and west by railway lines running south fromCatford. Along the south it is bordered by Southend Lane, theA2218 main road. TheRiver Ravensbourne runs through Bellingham, although it is either underground or part of a man-made section of the river. TheGreenwich Prime Meridian passes to the east of Bellingham.
Randlesdown Road serves as a mini 'High Street' for Bellingham providing a local supermarket, men's and women's hair dressers, dry cleaner,off licence, news agent, fish and chip shop, The Fellowship pub and cinema, various takeaways and a gym (situated on Bellingham playing fields). It is known for being a very multicultural area.
Bellingham Green is ahexagonal public park at the centre of the estate.
Bellingham railway station serves the area with services toKentish Town (London Blackfriars off peak) viaCatford and toSevenoaks viaSwanley. Bellingham is served by manyTransport for London buses connecting it with areas includingBeckenham,Biggin Hill,Bromley,Catford,Central London,Greenwich,Shoreditch,Camberwell,Bermondsey,Deptford,Elephant & Castle,Brockley,Lewisham,New Cross,Orpington,Peckham andWoolwich.
Pre-schools, nurseries and kindergartens include Kindergarten Forest Hill in Bellingham Green and Umbrella House Day Nursery. Primary schools in Bellingham include Athelney Primary School, St Augustines and Elfrida Primary School.
