The Cattle Market

The firm Buckland & Sons ran the Slough Cattle Market from 1850 to 1988. It was originally in William Street (where the University car park now is) and later moved to Wexham Street (near the hospital).

Edward Bowyer’s History of the Market
There had been markets for cattle, sheep and poultry in the first half of the nineteenth century – and probably much earlier. Edward Barry Bowyer in his history of Buckland & Sons records that there was a market for cattle etc in Slough in 1819 and that this was not a one-off but a regular event. Mr Bowyer as a young man was articled to the firm in 1919 after war service and wrote this history in 1973. (It is held in the Reference Section of Slough Central Library.)

Mid Nineteenth Century Auctions
The firm was active as an auctioneer – for many things besides livestock - in the Slough area before taking responsibility for the regular cattle market. But concentrating on agricultural matters, Bowyer records the auction of a 16-horse power steam engine "with a new boiler" at Upper Mill, Stanwell in 1843; unfortunately no price is given. Then in 1846 assets on retirement of Mr Francis Groom were sold. These included "useful six horses" at prices ranging from £3-3-0 to £9, "fine" three cows and calves from £13 to '£14.10-0 and 2 sows in pig – one at £2-10-0 and the other at £2-12-6. In September 1848 in Datchet an acre of mangel wortsels and swedes raised
£4-15-0 and 42 loads of clover hay, £147.

The Market at the North Star
In September 1850 they took over the regular cattle market in the field of the North Star public house in William Street near the railway station. (The North Star had previously been known as the Royal Hotel and was eventually, in 1875, bought by Bucklands from the Great Western Railway.) On the 8th October 1850 Alderney cows were sol at prices ranging from £5 to £9 each. On the 17th December that year fat bacon hogs from the farm of HRH Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's Consort) were sold at prices from £2-14-0 to £3-7-0 and ten fat ewes "fed by HRH Prince Albert" were sold for £1-13-0 (each?). Sales from the Royal Farms became a feature of the December sale well into the twentieth century. Initially the market was held monthly, then fortnightly and, from 1863, weekly.

Lunch for 7p!
Edward Barry Bowyer had vivid memories of his early days with Bucklands. He remembers being taken to lunch at Lidstones in Slough High Street. Lamb and Mint Sauce, potatoes and two veg, with a roll and two cakes was 1s.5d.

Army Guard for Station
In September 1919 there was a railway strike: the station was guarded by troops with fixed bayonets. In 1919 there were few motor vehicles available for farm use. Most of the cattle were driven to market, but some came in horse-drawn cattle and pig floats. In October of that year farmstock of Parlaunt Park Farm was auctioned; the farmhouse was reputed to be part of an ancient palace and the cellar held some potent alcohol, as the young Mr Bowyer found to his cost!

Amazing Prices in 1922
In 1922 there was a special sales of South African Friesian cattle, imported "to ensure a change of blood". They were brought to Slough Depot (now the Trading Estate), "attended by South African coolies", and sold on behalf of the British Friesian Society. They fetched some amazing prices: 4,300 guineas for a cow, 3,900 guineas for a bull and 1,750 guineas for a calf. Today, if prices for cattle had moved in line with prices generally, these would be something like £2 million, £1.8 million and £800,000 respectively. The fact that such prices for “stud” cattle are unimaginable indicates the relative decline in farming over the past 80 years.

The Move to Wexham
Post WW II, with redevelopment of the town centre, the cattle market had to move. It reopened on its new five-and-a half-acre site in Wexham Street beside Wexham Park Hospital. It was opened on the 19th September 1961 by Howard Howard-Vyse who auctioned the first lot, a pen of pigs. It was bought by Clifford Weeks whose father had bought the first lot at new auction buildings in 1922.

The End
In the 1970s and 1980s turnover diminished, particularly after an outbreak of swine fever. It finally closed on 6th December 1988. Appropriately this marked the Christmas show with 14 Challenge Cups to compete for. The land has now been redeveloped and a housing development is named "Buckland Gate".

Reference: History of Buckland & Sons by Edward Bowyer, undated.
© STEAM 2005