Until the mid-19th Century, cattle were sold at public markets and fairs and a cattle market is known to have been held in Slough in 1835. One of the first private auctions of cattle was held by W.T. Buckland, of Buckland & Sons, in Slough in 1850.

The Market was held monthly for several years, then fortnightly and finally, from 1863, weekly. In 1881, Buckland bought land near the railway station and Slough Cattle Market was moved there. The site is now part of Thames Valley University.

The Market not only sold cattle, but other farm livestock and crops were also auctioned. Each December there was a 'Christmas Poultry Show & Sale'. Here farmers throughout South Buckinghamshire and further afield would bring their finest animals to compete for one of the 14 silver cups. One of the highlights was the sale of animals from the royal farms.

In 1961 the market moved again, this time to a five and a half acre site on Wexham Street, Wexham, just north of Slough.

A dramatic slump in the number of animals sold at the market during the 1980s led to it losing money, and the market finally closed in December 1988. Fittingly, the last lot was put under the hammer at the Christmas Show.

The land in Wexham has now been redeveloped, however not all signs of the market's existence have been destroyed. A housing development on the site was named Buckland Gate, after the company who sold cattle in Slough for over 130 years.