Near Abergavenny test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 2 roundabouts, 29 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 34 navigation steps.
This is an independent 58.6 km practice loop near Abergavenny test centre, taking roughly 45 min to drive. It is NOT an official DVSA examiner route, the DVSA does not publish those, but it uses the same local roads and junction types an examiner is likely to choose.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads and independent driving. Driving it a few times before your test builds the muscle memory that frees up attention for observation and decision-making on the day.
The loop is anchored by 20 catalogued landmarks, including stations, churches, pubs and shops, so you can navigate it from recognisable features rather than a memorised turn list. Rehearsing it in this way means that on test day the area already feels familiar, and your attention is free for the traffic rather than the map.
Whatever the route, your practical test follows the same national shape: an eyesight check, a couple of vehicle-safety questions, around forty minutes of general driving, one reversing manoeuvre chosen by the examiner, and roughly twenty minutes of independent driving following signs or a sat-nav. Practising on roads like these is how you make each of those elements feel routine rather than new.
Treat this route as practice, not a script. The value is not in repeating one fixed sequence but in getting comfortable with the road types, speed changes and junction patterns of the area around Abergavenny test centre, so that whatever order your examiner chooses on the day, none of it is unfamiliar. Drive it a few times, focus on smooth observation and planning, and it becomes one more stretch of road you already know, which is exactly the kind of preparation that turns nerves into confidence.
If you are practising with a supervising driver rather than an instructor, take it steadily: agree the manoeuvre spots in advance, keep to a comfortable pace, and stop to talk through anything that felt rushed. And remember the basics that apply on every road, mirrors before any change of speed or direction, signals in good time, and a following distance that gives you room to react. Those habits travel with you long after the test is passed.
What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.
This route helps you practise:
Road mix
The full 141-step drive on real, named roads (about 60.3 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive north.
6 m
Turn right onto Station Road.
Station Road242 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Station Road.
Station Road372 m
Turn right onto A40/Monmouth Road. Continue on A40.
A40635 m
Keep right to take A40/Cross Street.
A4090 m
Turn right onto A40/Monk Street.
A404 m
Turn right onto A40/Monk Street. Continue on A40.
A40361 m
Turn left onto A40/Park Road.
A4069 m
Keep straight to stay on A40.
A40404 m
Turn right onto Pen-y-Pound.
Pen-y-Pound159 m
Turn right onto Park Crescent.
Park Crescent71 m
Turn left onto Skirrid Road.
Skirrid Road150 m
Turn right onto Park Avenue.
Park Avenue222 m
Turn left onto A40.
A4038 m
Turn right onto King Street.
King Street123 m
Turn left onto Lion Street.
Lion Street197 m
Turn left onto A40/Hereford Road.
A40149 m
Turn left onto A40/Park Road.
A4069 m
Keep straight to stay on A40.
A40526 m
Turn left onto Regent Street.
Regent Street85 m
Move left onto Prince's Street.
Prince's Street152 m
Turn left onto Baker Street.
Baker Street100 m
Turn left onto Frogmore Street.
Frogmore Street57 m
Keep left to stay on Frogmore Street.
Frogmore Street187 m
Turn left onto Merthyr Road/B4246.
Merthyr Road64 m
Keep right to stay on Merthyr Road/B4246.
Merthyr Road332 m
Turn left onto Tudor Street.
Tudor Street204 m
Turn left onto Baker Street.
Baker Street103 m
Turn left onto Trinity Street.
Trinity Street146 m
Turn left onto Pant Lane.
Pant Lane79 m
Turn right onto Tudor Street.
Tudor Street110 m
Turn left onto Merthyr Road/B4246.
Merthyr Road289 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Merthyr Road/B4246.
64 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/B4246.
Merthyr Road423 m
Turn left onto Sunny Bank.
Sunny Bank78 m
Turn right onto Park Street.
Park Street175 m
Turn left onto St Helen's Road.
St Helen's Road25 m
Turn right.
31 m
Turn left.
151 m
Turn left.
39 m
Turn left onto St Helen's Road.
St Helen's Road266 m
Turn right onto Commercial Street.
Commercial Street102 m
Turn right onto Merthyr Road/B4246.
Merthyr Road554 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A4143.
45 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4143.
A4143539 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A40/Brecon Road.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto A40/Brecon Road.
A4011 m
Keep right to stay on A40/Brecon Road.
A40216 m
Turn right onto Belgrave Road.
Belgrave Road438 m
Turn right onto Western Road.
Western Road197 m
Turn right onto Chapel Road.
Chapel Road27 m
Turn right onto North Street.
North Street550 m
Turn right onto A40/Brecon Road.
A40123 m
Turn left onto Hatherleigh Road.
Hatherleigh Road184 m
Turn right to stay on Hatherleigh Road.
Hatherleigh Road71 m
Turn left onto Union Road West.
Union Road West178 m
Turn left onto A4143.
A4143325 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A40/Brecon Road.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto A40/Brecon Road.
A40118 m
Turn left onto Chapel Road.
Chapel Road165 m
Turn right onto Stanhope Street.
Stanhope Street186 m
Turn right onto Avenue Road.
Avenue Road164 m
Turn left onto Pen-y-Pound.
Pen-y-Pound49 m
Keep right to stay on Pen-y-Pound.
Pen-y-Pound163 m
Turn right.
13 m
Turn right.
77 m
Move right.
24 m
Turn left onto Pen-y-Pound.
Pen-y-Pound130 m
Turn left to stay on Pen-y-Pound.
Pen-y-Pound32 m
Turn right to stay on Pen-y-Pound.
Pen-y-Pound259 m
Turn left onto A40/Park Road. Continue on A40.
A40474 m
Turn left onto Hereford Road/B4521. Continue on Hereford Road.
Hereford Road709 m
Turn left onto Lansdown Road.
Lansdown Road407 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Hillcrest Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hillcrest Road.
Hillcrest Road277 m
Turn right onto Ysguborwen.
Ysguborwen234 m
Turn right onto Old Hereford Road.
Old Hereford Road532 m
Turn right.
167 m
Turn right onto Llwynu Lane.
Llwynu Lane53 m
Turn right onto Derwen Way.
Derwen Way296 m
Turn right onto Ffordd yr Hen Sgubor.
Ffordd yr Hen Sgubor49 m
Keep right to stay on Ffordd yr Hen Sgubor.
Ffordd yr Hen Sgubor300 m
Turn right onto Ysguborwen.
Ysguborwen128 m
Turn left onto Old Hereford Road.
Old Hereford Road378 m
Keep right to stay on Old Hereford Road.
Old Hereford Road42 m
Move left onto Pen-y-Pound.
Pen-y-Pound99 m
Turn left onto Park Crescent.
Park Crescent56 m
Turn right onto Penyfal Road.
Penyfal Road15 m
Turn left onto Skirrid Road.
Skirrid Road150 m
Turn left onto Park Avenue.
Park Avenue253 m
Turn left onto Llwynu Road.
Llwynu Road155 m
Turn right onto Park Crescent.
Park Crescent310 m
Turn left onto Hereford Road/B4521. Continue on Hereford Road.
Hereford Road67 m
Keep left to stay on Hereford Road.
Hereford Road118 m
Turn left onto Lansdown Road.
Lansdown Road407 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Hillcrest Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hillcrest Road.
Hillcrest Road165 m
Turn left onto Highfield Crescent.
Highfield Crescent236 m
Turn right onto Hillcrest Road.
Hillcrest Road277 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Lansdown Road.
104 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lansdown Road.
Lansdown Road282 m
Turn right onto Lansdown Drive.
Lansdown Drive106 m
Keep left to stay on Lansdown Drive.
Lansdown Drive46 m
Turn right to stay on Lansdown Drive.
Lansdown Drive8 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Lansdown Drive.
Lansdown Drive8 m
Turn left to stay on Lansdown Drive.
Lansdown Drive153 m
Turn right onto Lansdown Road.
Lansdown Road125 m
Turn right onto Hereford Road.
Hereford Road412 m
Turn left onto Priory Road.
Priory Road143 m
Turn left onto Alexandra Road.
Alexandra Road84 m
Turn left onto Oxford Street.
Oxford Street135 m
Turn right onto Hereford Road/B4521.
Hereford Road216 m
Turn right onto Grosvenor Road/B4521.
Grosvenor Road397 m
Keep left to stay on B4521.
B4521892 m
Turn left to take the ramp.
246 m
Turn right onto A465.
A465144 m
Keep right to stay on A465.
A4654.3 km
Keep left to stay on A465.
A465118 m
Keep straight to stay on A465.
A4653.3 km
Keep left to stay on A465.
A4658.8 km
Make a sharp left.
44 m
Turn left.
20 m
Turn right onto A465.
A4651.1 km
Keep right to stay on A465.
A465116 m
Keep right to stay on A465.
A4657.5 km
Keep right to stay on A465.
A4653.6 km
Keep right to stay on A465.
A465108 m
Keep right to stay on A465.
A4654.5 km
Keep left to stay on A465.
A465190 m
Keep left to stay on A465.
A4652.3 km
Move left onto A40.
A40149 m
Move right to stay on A40.
A4051 m
Move right to stay on A40.
A40319 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A40/Monmouth Road.
101 m
Exit the roundabout onto A40/Monmouth Road.
A40931 m
Turn right onto Fosterville Crescent.
Fosterville Crescent134 m
Turn left to stay on Fosterville Crescent.
Fosterville Crescent71 m
Turn left onto Holywell Road.
Holywell Road6 m
Turn left onto A40/Monmouth Road.
A40415 m
Turn left onto Station Road.
Station Road146 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Abergavenny · Route 4 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.
These are the real named features along the loop, straight from our route catalogue. Use them to recognise where you are and to anticipate the hazard each one brings, not to memorise a fixed order.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Multiple roundabouts
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 40.1 km of this loop is dual carriageway. Build your speed on the slip road, take an effective rearward observation, and merge without forcing other traffic to brake.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 mph). Watch for repeater signs and adjust early, examiners mark you down for carrying the wrong speed into a new limit.
Residential streets
Narrow residential roads mean parked cars, pedestrians and reduced visibility. Cover the brake, keep your speed down and be ready to give way.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Abergavenny
Start near Abergavenny.
Abergavenny Presbyterian Church
Continue to Abergavenny Presbyterian Church.
Our Lady And St Michael's Catholic Church
Continue to Our Lady And St Michael's Catholic Church.
Abergavenny Baptist Church
Continue to Abergavenny Baptist Church.
Auberge
Continue to Auberge.
Grofield
Continue to Grofield.
Julian Tooley
Continue to Julian Tooley.
TCM carpets & Beds
Continue to TCM carpets & Beds.
Christadelphian Hall
Continue to Christadelphian Hall.
Keith Price Volvo
Continue to Keith Price Volvo.
Railway
Continue to Railway.
Nisa express
Continue to Nisa express.
Y Cantreff
Continue to Y Cantreff.
Abergavenny Fire Station
Continue to Abergavenny Fire Station.
Morrisons Daily
Continue to Morrisons Daily.
Dobbins
Continue to Dobbins.
Old Pandy Inn
Continue to Old Pandy Inn.
Rising Sun
Continue to Rising Sun.
Triley Farm
Continue to Triley Farm.
Plas Derwen
Finish back near Plas Derwen, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 20 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 20 turns · 1 set of lights
5 roundabouts · 23 turns · 2 sets of lights
1 roundabout · 23 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 58.6 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Abergavenny test centre, not an official DVSA route.