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Coal and Diesel Boats on the Canal System

Coal and Diesel Boats on the Canal System

Original information kindly supplied by George Boyle. Added to and updated from time to time with information supplied by traders and customers. Now mobile-phone-friendly!

Last updated Nov 2024.

If you think anything is incorrect or out of date, please send a message to help to put it right!

Many of the boats listed range further than the stated area, especially in summer.

Boats shown in alphabetical order. Delivery by road shown below. Useful links.

Boats no longer operating are shown in grey and have been moved to the foot of the page.

List of boats:

Alton     Ambush     Anne     Aquilon     Archimedes and Ara     Ariel and Mercia     Ascot and Beverley     Ash     Auriga     Bellatrix     Ben     Bargus     Baron     Bletchley     Callisto     Clover     Coalboat     Dusty     Eclipse and Echoes     EcoFuelBoat     Emu     Fenny     Frederick     Fuel By Water     Gosty Hill     Greyhound     Grimsby and Whitby     Hadar     Halsall     Heart of Gold     Hyperion     Indus and Pictor     Jackal     Jubilee     Jules Fuels     Lion     Luctor     Lynx     Merchant     Mountbatten     Newdigate     Nuneaton and Brighton     Ozzie     Pegasus     Roach     Southern Cross     St. Austell     Stokie No.1     Stratford     Tadworth     Taurus     The Coalboat     Tipton     Towcester     Triumph     Victoria    

Name of boat

Proprietor(s)

Coal, diesel, etc. on sale

 

Area of operation

 

Alton

Brian & Ann Marie McGuigan
(07791 345004)
[website] [Facebook] [Twitter]

Diesel and solid fuel
also ropes, fenders, pumpout

Upper Peak Forest Canal, summit level of Macclesfield Canal, occasionally to Trent & Mersey North and River Weaver. (For T&M North, Weaver, Middlewich, SU, Chester, also see Halsall.)
Fortnightly deliveries by road to Lower Peak Forest, Ashton and Manchester, including New Islington & Droylsden Marinas.

Ambush wide beam barge

Derek Bent
(07837 428 588)
[Facebook]

Coal, gas, diesel, engine oil and other boating sundries

Leeds and Liverpool (Wigan to Burscough and Haskayne)
based at Crooke (Bridge 47)
also delivers by road

Anne

Stuart Hooper

Solid fuel

Upper Peak Forest Canal and summit level of Macclesfield Canal

Aquilon

Sarah and Lee
(07384 507192)

Coal, Diesel, Gas and Chandlery

Kennet and Avon Canal between Saltford (River Avon) and Wotton Rivers

Ariel and Mercia

Liam Hewlett
Trading as Midlands & Coast Canal Carriers
(07748 958303)


[website] [Facebook]

Diesel and solid fuel, Calor Gas, Kindling and Logs, pre-ordered ropes and fenders, Elsan Blue

Bridgewater Canal

Ash

Noah Wakeham
07778 828565

Information, anyone?

Southern Grand Union Canal

Baron

Dominic
(07534 674128)

Diesel, gas, solid fuel, Blue, pumpout

London area - Watford to Brentford to River Lea (any more info?)

Bletchley and Bideford

Nick and Mary (07518 929472)
Trading as part of Jules' Fuels partnership

Diesel, solid fuel, calor gas, logs, kindling, firelighters, blue and grease.

Grand Union (Central): Cowroast to Stoke Bruerne.

Callisto

Mark or Steve
(07702 031718)

Diesel, gas, coal, Blue

Based at Stockton, covering Grand Union North, Warwick to Braunston and Grand Union Leicester Line

Clover

See: Pegasus

 

 .

See list of boats

Name of boat

Proprietor(s)

Coal, diesel, etc. on sale

 

Area of operation

 

Dusty

Bob
(07496 109434)
Trading as part of Jules' Fuels partnership
[Website]

Coal, wood, diesel and gas

South Oxford Canal (deliveries every 2 to 3 weeks)

eCofuelboat

Now operating as 'Fuel By Water'

See 'Fuel By Water'.

Emu or Lion

Ben
(07495987863) [Facebook] [Instagram]

Coal, gas, diesel, wood products and small misc items.

Covering Ponders End to Hertford and the River Stort

Frederick the Fuel Boat

(Formerly 'The Coalboat')
Karen and Ed
(07508 904378)

gas, diesel, coal, wood, chandlery

Kennet and Avon - Wootton Rivers to Devizes (long pound only by boat, potentially van runs 15 miles either side, please call for details).

Fuel By Water

(formerly 'eCofuelboat')
Howard and Tracey
(07850582442 or 07526 106818)

[Facebook]

Red Diesel, Smokeless fuels, Ecoal, logs, charcoal, kindle, Calor Propane 13kg and 6kg

Based on River Soar below Cossington Lock where you can buy fuel from the boat whenever one of us is here.
Monthly run to Nottingham includes Mountsorrel, Barrow Upon Soar, Proctors, Loughborough, Zouch, Kegworth, Redhill, Trent Lock, Cranfleet, Sawley, Shardlow, Beeston and Nottingham.
Monthly run towards Leicester including Thurmaston.
Phone or check Facebook link to check on schedule.

Grimsby and Whitby

Viv
(07976 686130)

Coal and Gas also other items such as second-hand books

Now based at Sheet Stores at the bottom of the Erewash near Trent Lock.

Hadar

Keith and Jo Lodge
[website] [Facebook] [Twitter]

Kindling, fire lighters, toilet blue/green, canal gifts (no longer selling coal)

Moving around the system during summer months. See website or Facebook for current location.

Halsall

Brian & Ann Marie McGuigan & Rachel & Ian
trading as Four Counties Fuel Ltd.
(07491 149149)
[website] [Facebook] [Twitter]

Diesel, coal, solid fuels, logs, kindling, Calor Gas, pumpout, ropes, fenders, oils, greases, fuel additives and basic chandelry items

Monthly deliveries around the Four Counties Ring, plus Shrophshire Union to Chester and Ellesmere Port, plus River Weaver.
Also fortnightly deliveries T&M Preston Brook to Wheelock, Middlewich Branch & SU to Bunbury, Nantwich & bottom of Audlem.
Also occasional runs on Caldon Canal and monthly deliveries by road to Caldon Canal.

Heart of Gold

Matt Hilsdon (07936 333065)
trading as Red Sprocket Services

[Twitter]

Wood, kindling,

Kennet and Avon Canal between Devizes and Hanham Lock

Indus and Pictor

Coal Diesel and Gas Delivery Service
Tomek
(07759 484699)
[Facebook]

Coal, red diesel, gas, blue, oil and batteries to order.

London areas of Grand Union Canal: Regents, Paddington Arm, Uxbridge to Brentford, plus Lee and Stort.

Jackal

Chris and Jan Deuchar

Solid fuel

Trent Lock, Long Eaton

Lion

See: Emu

 

 .

Merchant

Jake
(07951 481063)
[Instagram]

Coal and diesel

Middle and Upper Thames, Teddington to Lechlade

Mountbatten and Lindsay (and Jellicoe)

Richard Chamberlain 07946 239778 (new number)

[Website] [Facebook]

Coal, diesel, gas, etc.

Llangollen Canal, Montgomery Canal, Shropshire Union from Barbridge to Autherley, Staffs and Worcs from Autherley to Awbridge.

See list of boats

Name of boat

Proprietor(s)

Coal, diesel, etc. on sale

 

Area of operation

 

Nuneaton and Brighton

Narrowboat Trust
(contact: 07951 026530)

Bags of coal (pre-ordered, but usually some spare available)

River Thames, Kennet and Avon as far as Kintbury, River Wey, Oxford Canal and G.U. South

Ozzie

Paul Diprose (07503 583523)
[Facebook]

Diesel, Coal, Gas, Logs, Kindling, Loo Blue / Green and Fire Lighters

Kennet and Avon
between Reading and Wooton Rivers

Pegasus, Clover or Emu

Michael or Nicola
(contact: 07725 754570) [Facebook] [Instagram]

Coal, gas, diesel, wood products and small misc items.

Ponders End, Hackney, Limehouse, including the Hertford Cut and Regents Canal towards Kensal Green.

Roach

Rich (07778 403657)

[Website] [Facebook]

Coal, diesel, logs, kindling, firelighters, Elsan blue and pink, stern grease, mooring chains and pins

Worcester & Birmingham Canal; Stratford Canal; Staffs & Worcs Canal (Stourport to Autherley); Stourbridge Canal; BCN Old Main Line; Wyrley & Essington Canal

Southern Cross

Ryan Dimmock
07500 484906
Trading as part of Jules' Fuels partnership

Solid fuel, diesel, calor gas, logs, kindling, firelighters, blue and grease

Grand Union between Stoke Bruerne and Stockton; North Oxford to Barby.

St. Austell

Brian and Ann Marie McGuigan
(07791 345004)

Solid fuel
also ropes, fenders

Bollington Wharf, Macclesfield Canal,

Stokie No.1

Simon Bamford
07896 585036

Coal, gas, kindling

Fazeley (Coventry Canal) to Great Haywood (Trent & Mersey)
Occasionally continuing to Stone.

Stratford

Emma and Kevin (07526 485353)
B&W Fuels Ltd on NB Stratford
[Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Instagram]
Email:

Coal, Gas, Diesel, Logs, Kindling, Elsan and more.
GPS tracking on our website when we're open!

Grand Union Canal : Uxbridge to Tring (Bullbourne / Top of the Marsworth flight)..
Schedule : Weekly service (One week each way).

Tadworth and Bordesley

Andrew (07596 420220)
Trading as part of Jules' Fuels partnership
[Website] [Facebook]

Solid fuel, diesel, calor gas, logs, kindling, firelighters, blue and grease.

Grand Union (South): Cowley to Bulbourne.

Taurus

Pete Wakeham
07774 166497
[Facebook]

Carries most supplies. Anyone any more information?

Paddington Arm, Bulls Bridge to Little Venice

Towcester

Jules
07740 487222
Trading as part of Jules' Fuels partnership
[Website] [Facebook]

Smokeless coal, diesel, propane, logs, kindling, firelighters, etc.

Coventry Canal (Sutton Stop to Fradley) and Trent and Mersey (Shardlow to Great Haywood) - deliveries every 2 to 3 weeks.

Delivery to boats by road

APS Refuelling

Reported to be no longer delivering to boats.
Andy Bradwell
(mobile: 07803758362  yard: 01724 712957)

Diesel and solid fuel
also logs and other solid fuel

Reported to be no longer delivering to boats.
Stainforth & Keadby, Goole, Chesterfield Canal, Fossdyke, Selby Canal, Aire & Calder, Sheffield & South Yorks.

Alton

Brian & Ann Marie McGuigan
(07791 345004)
[website] [Facebook] [Twitter]

Diesel and solid fuel
also ropes, fenders, pumpout

Fortnightly deliveries by road to Lower Peak Forest Canal, Ashton Canal and Manchester, including New Islington & Droylsden Marinas.

Inland Waterways Diesel & Pumpout Price Survey
Potentially useful listing but please note that some of the prices listed may be out of date.

Police Numbers
The Keens family's list of non-emergency police contact numbers for each area

Pump-outs
The Keens family's list of pump-out locations

Canal Plan
Nick Atty's online canal route planner and gazeteer

Technical Help
Tony Brooks's information and frequently-asked questions about mechanical or technical matters concerning boats

Boat Registrations
Jim Shead's list of most boats registered on inland waterways

Boats no longer operating

Archimedes and Ara

James Bill - Reported to be not trading at present.

Southern Grand Union Canal and London

Southern Grand Union Canal and London

Ascot and Beverley

Gary Slater (07881 542953)

Diesel, Calor Gas, Coal, Toilet Blue and Green
Reported to be no longer trading.

Grand Union Canal - regular runs from Cosgrove through Milton Keynes into Leighton Buzzard

Auriga

Rick Cooper (Gravenor Boating Company)
(07962 013199) [Facebook]

No longer operating

Diesel, gas, coal and smokeless fuel

Coventry, North Oxford, Ashby, Trent & Mersey Canals

Bargus

Jason
trading as Four Counties Fuel Ltd.
(07486 872158)

No longer operating - see 'Halsall'
[website] [Facebook]

Diesel, gas, coal, solid fuel, wood, pump outs, oils and greases

Shropshire Union (Ellesmere Port to Autherley), Staffs and Worcs (Autherley to Gt Heywood), Trent and Mersey (Gt Heywood to Middlewich), Middlewich Branch
See 'Halsall' for coverage of this area.

Bellatrix

See Ariel.

 

Ben

Rupert Smedley
(07973 538690, 01538 385388)

Diesel and solid fuel

Caldon Canal, based at Hazelhurst (monthly runs during Winter)
No longer trading - see Halsall

Eclipse and Echoes

Chamberlain Carrying Co
(07754 003834) [website] [Facebook]

No longer trading - business transferred to Mountbatten and Jellicoe

Trent & Mersey Canal (Winter route: Sawley to Alrewas
No longer trading

Fenny

Chris Johnson

No longer trading.

No longer trading.

Gosty Hill

Not currently trading

Diesel and solid fuel

Oxford, Coventry and Ashby

Greyhound

Not currently trading

Solid fuel

Coventry Canal

Hyperion

M and P Canal Carrying Co. (07415 298 381)
[Facebook]

No longer trading

Southern Grand Union south of Marsworth (Bulbourne to Cowley) See Towcester.

Jubilee

Mike Partridge (07966 503609)

No longer trading

No longer trading - see Towcester

Luctor

Henk Meerdink (07919 487198)
trading as Luctor Canal Boat Services

[Twitter]

See Heart of Gold and The Coalboat

Kennet and Avon Canal between Devizes and Hanham Lock
Reported to be no longer trading.

Lynx

Pete Wakeman
(07774 166497)
[Trading as 'Denham Day Boats]

Diesel, gas, etc. Reported not to be trading at present.

Thought to operate between Bulls Bridge and Watford.
Does anyone have any recent information?
Reported not to be trading at present.

Newdigate

John and Madeline Forth

No longer trading.

No longer trading.

The Coalboat

Reported to be no longer trading.
The Canal Carrying Company; Will Windsor
(07834 703 713)

See 'Frederick the Fuel Boat'

Based at Bradford on Avon, covering Kennet and Avon between Bath and the bottom of the Caen Hill flight

Tipton

Reported to be no longer trading.
Andy (07779 185375)

Diesel and coal

Kennet and Avon Canal (Great Bedwyn to Bath)

Triumph

Reported to be no longer trading.
Adam

Mainly dropping Coal but can deliver Kiln dried logs, Gas, Kindling and Fire Lighters on request.
(Supplied by Charlton Whitehouse Fuels)

Staffs and Worcs Canal; Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

Victoria

Michael Askin (07414 707110)
Not actively trading at present

Diesel, Gas, Coal & smokeless fuels.

Moving around the system. Diesel & gas sold ad hoc.

See list of boats

List of boats:

Alton     Ambush     Anne     Aquilon     Archimedes and Ara     Ariel and Mercia     Ascot and Beverley     Ash     Auriga     Bellatrix     Ben     Bargus     Baron     Bletchley     Callisto     Clover     Coalboat     Dusty     Eclipse and Echoes     EcoFuelBoat     Emu     Fenny     Frederick     Fuel By Water     Gosty Hill     Greyhound     Grimsby and Whitby     Hadar     Halsall     Heart of Gold     Hyperion     Indus and Pictor     Jackal     Jubilee     Jules Fuels     Lion     Luctor     Lynx     Merchant     Mountbatten     Newdigate     Nuneaton and Brighton     Ozzie     Pegasus     Roach     Southern Cross     St. Austell     Stokie No.1     Stratford     Tadworth     Taurus     The Coalboat     Tipton     Towcester     Triumph     Victoria    

Thanks to George Boyle, Simon Robinson, Brian Holt, Paul Myerson, Liam Hewlett, Mike Askin, Brian McGuigan, Graham Keens and many others.
Please send a message for any corrections, omissions or additional information.