Each of the four winning animals will eventually appear on a different banknote, although the Bank has not yet revealed which animal will feature on which note.
The Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog will feature on the next generation of Bank of England notes.
Barn owls are widespread across Oxfordshire, only absent from the Highlands of Scotland and under threat in Northern Ireland.
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A native European hedgehog (Image: Contributed)
Hedgehogs are also common in Oxfordshire with 803 recorded sightings in the area, and around 30 per cent of Oxfordshire gardens regularly have visiting hedgehogs.
Almost half a million people were asked to choose their favourites from a shortlist of 18 animals, covering mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and fish.
The first of the redesigned notes is expected to enter circulation within the next few years.
The hedgehog proved the public’s favourite mammal, receiving 259,665 selections, while the barn owl topped the bird category with 270,596.
The buff-tailed bumblebee was an even bigger favourite, attracting 360,399 selections in the category covering amphibians, insects and fish.
Undated handout photo issued by Bank of England of mock ups of the new bank notes. (Image: Bank of England/PA Wire)
But the puffin’s place on Britain’s future banknotes came with a twist. It did not receive the most votes in the bird category, attracting 183,137 selections.
The common kingfisher received more, with 211,277.
However, the Bank had warned from the outset that the four animals with the highest number of votes would not automatically become the winners.
Instead, it also considered how the four animals would work together as a collection.
Other well-supported animals that missed out included the brown hare, the emperor dragonfly, the common frog, marsh fritillary butterfly and the grey seal.
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