IT MAY be an iconic landmark of Regency-era history, but 30% of Britons think Brighton Pavilion is actually the Taj Mahal.

A survey has shown how many of us are ignorant of some of the most famous tourist destinations in the British Isles.

This includes the Royal Pavilion, built by Prince George in the 1700s in the British Indian style.

The survey was led by hotel group Mercure, who are working with Blue Badge Tourist Guides to highlight some of the most interesting attractions on our doorstep.

Meanwhile among the guide’s 15 best-kept local secrets is the Prince Albert mural, near Brighton station.

The wall on the side of the Prince Albert pub depicts 28 famous musicians including Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury and John Lennon and was created by graffiti artists Req, SinnaOne and pub owner Chris Steward.

While only 66% of people were able to correctly identify the Pavilion, it was not the only place respondents didn’t recognise.

Some 35% of people mistook London’s Marble Arch for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and 28 per cent of people got confused between St Paul’s Cathedral and The Vatican in Rome.

When asked to pick out real places in the UK from fictional, people also fared badly and more than one in ten thought that EastEnders’ Albert Square, and Pemberley, from Pride and Prejudice are real places.

Only a quarter of people believed that Dorset’s limestone arch Durdle Door was a real place.

Sarah Cowling, of Blue Badge Tourist Guides, said: “There are real treasures in the UK, many widely known and much loved, and many more that play a part in our recent and ancient history, or simply offer us a real taste of Britain.”

Mercure’s Jonathan Sheard said: “Our study showed that 77% of Brits would explore the UK more if they knew more about what was there. That’s where our Local Secrets come in.

“The UK has so many national treasures right here on their doorstep, so we have created the Local Secrets by Mercure website to share some of the UK’s most interesting, historical and entertaining attractions that many of us may not have known existed.”