CLACTON has recorded the warmest water temperature of any beach in England and Wales at 18.2°C, new figures reveal.

The team at Millets analysed Google reviews, water quality ratings, ocean temperatures, beach facilities, accessibility and parking costs to reveal the best coastal towns in England and Wales.

Clacton came in fourth place with a Google review of 4.5 stars and a total score of 7.88 out of 10. The data also revealed the average cost of parking in the town for four hours is £5.

Tynemouth, meanwhile, earned the top spot as the best coastal town in England and Wales, scoring 8.49 out of 10 overall.

Its main beach, Long Sands Beach, received a rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Google Reviews, the highest among all beaches.

Next on the list is Weymouth.

Despite its excellent water quality rating of 3 out of 3 from the Environment Agency and a Google Review score of 4.7 out of 5, high parking costs of £4.25 held it back.

Poole secured the third spot with its Blue Flag awarded beach, Canford Cliffs Beach, however, higher parking costs of £5.90 could be a downside for visitors.

The South West region emerged as the area with the most beaches in England and Wales with 452 in total.

The study also found Northumberland as the coastal destination with the most pet-friendly beaches with 31 out of its 33 beaches being pet-friendly.

Bournemouth Beach hit the roof with the priciest parking costs of £9.20 for up to four hours, in stark contrast to Hartlepool Sea Front's thrifty £2.00 parking fee.