Trade on the Buckingham branch of the Grand Junction Canal quickly rose to 20,000 tons of cargo each year after opening. This was made up of hay and straw exported to London for their thriving horse-drawn traffic, with imports in the area of coal, stone and other goods.

With the problems at the Buckingham end of the canal and the connection of Buckingham to the railway network in 1850, trade by the early 1890’s had dropped to 2,500 tons of coal and 500 tons of other goods reaching Buckingham each year. This figure was dropping each year.

By the 1900's trade with the town had ceased, although 30 boats a year made it to Maids Moreton Mill some one and a half miles east of Buckingham. This was road stone for the local council. Road stone was also delivered to Leckhampstead wharf along with agricultural traffic. There was also some trade with Deanshanger.

Buckingham Corporation in evidence to a Royal Commission in 1908 promised to take 500 tons of stone and 60 tons of coal by water. This was subject to the canal being reopened to Buckingham. The offer was never taken up by the Canal company.

Trade continued to diminish with the last traffic being to Deanshanger in 1935.