New research has named Minehead and Clevedon beaches as top ten places in the UK for water sports.

Conducted by experts from national retailer GO Outdoors, the report looked at water quality, average sunshine, popularity, and wind speed to determine the best places to for all the most popular aquatic activities.

Within the nationwide findings Clevedon Beach was named as the UK’s third best location for outdoor swimming, with only Portland Harbour and Clacton Beach scoring higher in results tables whilst Bracelet Bay in Wales ties Clevedon at number three.

The North Somerset town benefits from a peak sea temperature of 21.6 °C and average annual sunshine of 1,631 hours, as well as the presence of its three-time Pier of the Year.

Elsewhere in Somerset, Minehead Beach was named as the nation’s eighth best location for the ever-growing sport of paddleboarding.

The West Somerset beach’s top ten placing was helped by its high maximum sea temperature of 20.4°C and low average wind speed of 6.49 m/s per 10m but struggled in the all-important department of water quality.

Topping the table in the paddleboarding category was Silecroft Beach in Cumbria whilst Barmouth Beach and Borth Beach, both in Wales, were named the best locations for surfing and kayaking respectively.