The snake was seen on Tuesday, September 16 in Banbury, near to the historic lock and is reported to be a lengthy grass snake.
It is non-venomous and one of three snake species native to the UK, the others being the venomous adder snake and the non-venomous smooth snake.
Grass snakes generally grow to around a metre in length which puts this on the larger size.
Wendy Bedding, a local who saw it, said: “It was next to the lock, where the boats go in to raise up. It was on the wheelchair or pushchair ramp.
“I stopped and recorded it as it was the first snake I had seen in the wild in our country and I am 63!”
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She added: “It did eventually fall in the lock, and it tried to swim out, but the lock was shut as it was low water level.
“I left and when I passed by on the way home one hour later two guys said they raised the water in the lock so it could get out again.”
A lengthy grass snake sssss-ighted in an Oxfordshire town!
Credit: Wendy Bedding pic.twitter.com/pr6eSwppvB
— Matthew Evans (@MJCEvans1995) September 18, 2025
Reportedly there has been an increase in snake sightings over the past couple of years, especially in the summer when the weather is hotter.
RSPCA data revealed there was a total of 383 cases reported from July to September in 2024, an 18 per cent increase from the 323 during the same period in 2023.
Some of these are native snakes but others are pets that have escaped or been let loose.
Earlier this summer a “six-foot python” snake was spotted in the grass at a beauty spot in Oxford.
The python in Donnington(Image: Contributed)
The reptile was seen moving in the Donnington area of the city.
It was believed to be around six feet in length and appeared to be a python with the sighting made close to the River Thames.
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That was not the first time this year a python had been spotted in Oxford.
Back in April, a large snake was seen by a dog walker, who asked not to be identified.
Photographs showed a man in the main bathing area with what appeared to be a large python wrapped around his torso.