Mottingham is a place in the London Borough of Greenwich, although part (to the west of Mottingham Road) is in the London Borough of Bromley. A small sliver falls within the London Borough of Lewisham, near the border with Grove Park.
Mottingham was originally a hamlet in Eltham parish. The earliest records of Mottingham are from 862 AD when it was recorded as Modingahema, which means the land of Moda's people (commonly interpreted as - the proud place).
A key year in the history of Mottingham was 1866. This is when the area became connected to the railway system with the construction of Mottingham station (then known as Eltham station). In the same year, Mottingham received separate civil status thus separating itself politically from Eltham.
The first church in Mottingham was St Andrews Church on Court Road and was established in 1884, which further helped establish Mottingham as separate from Eltham.
