A FORMER lockkeeper will return to the Thames after nearly 15 years – but this time he will be swimming between locks rather than operating them.

Ben Partridge is among 85 people set to take part in the new 4km Lock to Lock River Thames wild swim from Eynsham Lock to Kings Lock near Godstow.

The new event on Sunday, September 6, has been organised by Swim Oxford Ltd – set up by Bob Gibson and Darrin Roles.

Father-of-one Mr Partridge, 36, said: “When Bob spoke to me about doing the swim, I said how I used to work as a lockkeeper over the summers so I have got a sort of connection to that stretch of the river.

“It was way back when I was at university when I did assistant lockkeeping over the summer. I would man the locks, opening and closing them and making sure the area was kept tidy.

“I have done a few open water swims in the past so this will not be my first.”

Mr Partridge, now an accountant living in Moulsford with his wife Leah and three-year-old daughter Hanna, worked on many locks in Oxfordshire as a summer job during 2000 and 2001.

The main locks he would man included Eynsham Lock, Kings Lock and Pinkhill Lock, but he has worked at others throughout the county.

He now tries to get down to Berinsfield Lake as much as possible during weekends to train for open water events. He said: “I think it will be quite interesting. It’s quite a rural area so we will be able to see a lot of the Oxfordshire countryside a different way.

“Plus not many people can say they have swum in the Thames like that.

“I like being out in the lake as it is more interesting than being in a pool. It is something different. It is quite nice to get a different perspective on the world at eye level.

“The biggest difference is the visibility. In a pool you follow the blue line on the bottom of the pool but in a lake they normally put buoys out and every six to eight strokes you have to look up.”

The wild water Thames swim will see both professional and first-time open water swimmers take to the river.

So far the waterway challenge has attracted swimmers from 15-year-olds to 67-year-olds, with more women on average signing up than men.

It will start at 8.30am with registration for swimmers starting at 6am.

Swimmers must be competent in the sport to enter and aged over 14.

Mr Partridge added: “You can definitely see the numbers [of open water swimmers] down at the lake increasing.”

Tickets are £40 and must be bought before the event at the website swimoxford.co.uk