Near Ashfield test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 15 turns and 10 signalled junctions across 24 navigation steps.
This is an independent 33.2 km practice route near Ashfield test centre, taking roughly 35 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.
Along the way you'll meet Leamington Drive. Knowing the approach, lane and exit at each one before you arrive is the difference between a planned manoeuvre and a last-second reaction, and last-second reactions are where avoidable faults come from.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads and sustained concentration. 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 shops, stations, schools and churches, 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 Ashfield 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 99-step drive on real, named roads (about 33.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southeast.
4 m
Turn right.
17 m
Turn right onto B6139.
B6139568 m
Turn left onto Lucknow Drive.
Lucknow Drive92 m
Turn left onto Sandown Road.
Sandown Road105 m
Turn left onto Fairfield Road.
Fairfield Road65 m
Turn right onto Coxmoor Road.
Coxmoor Road982 m
Turn right onto Newark Road/B6022.
Newark Road285 m
Turn left onto Searby Road.
Searby Road18 m
Turn right onto Newark Road.
Newark Road650 m
Make a right U-turn onto Kirkby Folly Road.
Kirkby Folly Road178 m
Make a left U-turn at Farndon Road onto Kirkby Folly Road/B6021.
Kirkby Folly Road621 m
Turn right onto Penny Emma Way/B6021.
Penny Emma Way881 m
Turn right onto A38/Kings Mill Road East. Continue on A38.
A381.8 km
Turn left towards Coxmoor Road.
Coxmoor Road551 m
Move right onto Eastfield Side.
Eastfield Side487 m
Turn left onto Mansfield Road/B6023. Continue on B6023.
B60231.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Manor Street.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Manor Street.
Manor Street273 m
Turn left onto Titchfield Avenue.
Titchfield Avenue124 m
Turn left onto Brook Street.
Brook Street32 m
Turn right onto Woods Hill.
Woods Hill82 m
Turn right.
155 m
Make a right U-turn.
155 m
Turn left onto Woods Hill.
Woods Hill82 m
Turn left onto Brook Street.
Brook Street233 m
Turn left onto Spring Road.
Spring Road218 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Kirkby Road.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kirkby Road.
Kirkby Road355 m
Turn right onto Longwood Drive.
Longwood Drive191 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Longwood Drive.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Longwood Drive.
Longwood Drive152 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Longwood Drive.
74 m
Exit the roundabout onto Longwood Drive.
Longwood Drive152 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Longwood Drive.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Longwood Drive.
Longwood Drive192 m
Turn left onto Kirkby Road.
Kirkby Road354 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Spring Road.
16 m
Exit the roundabout onto Spring Road.
Spring Road218 m
Turn right onto Brook Street.
Brook Street233 m
Turn right onto Woods Hill.
Woods Hill82 m
Turn right.
155 m
Make a right U-turn.
155 m
Turn left onto Woods Hill.
Woods Hill82 m
Turn left onto Brook Street.
Brook Street233 m
Turn left onto Spring Road.
Spring Road218 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Kirkby Road.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kirkby Road.
Kirkby Road282 m
Turn left onto Stuart Street.
Stuart Street445 m
Turn right onto The Twitchell.
The Twitchell124 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Leamington Drive.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Leamington Drive.
Leamington Drive53 m
Turn right.
39 m
Make a right U-turn.
39 m
Turn left onto Leamington Drive.
Leamington Drive53 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto The Twitchell.
104 m
Exit the roundabout onto The Twitchell.
The Twitchell304 m
Turn left onto Coronation Street.
Coronation Street107 m
Turn right onto Silk Street.
Silk Street236 m
Turn left onto High Pavement.
High Pavement260 m
Turn left onto Craster Street.
Craster Street138 m
Turn left onto Cowpasture Lane.
Cowpasture Lane106 m
Turn right onto High Pavement.
High Pavement501 m
Turn left onto Forest Street.
Forest Street162 m
Move right onto Outram Street.
Outram Street200 m
Turn right to stay on Outram Street.
Outram Street327 m
Turn right onto Stoney Street.
Stoney Street47 m
Turn right onto Bowne Street.
Bowne Street214 m
Turn right onto Penn Street.
Penn Street71 m
Turn left onto Outram Street.
Outram Street78 m
Turn right onto Northern Bridge Road.
Northern Bridge Road246 m
Turn right onto Priestsic Road/B6023. Continue on B6023.
B60232.0 km
Turn left towards A617/Kings Mill Road East.
A6171.1 km
Turn left onto Mansfield Road/B6014.
Mansfield Road31 m
Turn left onto Dalestorth Road.
Dalestorth Road524 m
Turn left onto Dalestorth Close.
Dalestorth Close123 m
Turn right to stay on Dalestorth Close.
Dalestorth Close18 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Dalestorth Close.
Dalestorth Close18 m
Turn left to stay on Dalestorth Close.
Dalestorth Close123 m
Turn left onto Dalestorth Road.
Dalestorth Road171 m
Turn left to stay on Dalestorth Road.
Dalestorth Road56 m
Turn left onto Skegby Road.
Skegby Road273 m
Turn left onto Mansfield Road/B6023.
Mansfield Road1.0 km
Turn left towards A617/Kings Mill Road East.
A6171.1 km
Make a right U-turn at B6014 to stay on A617.
A6171.1 km
Move right onto A38.
A38722 m
Turn left towards B6139.
B6139699 m
Turn right onto Newark Road/B6022.
Newark Road570 m
Turn left onto Kirkby Folly Road/B6021. Continue on B6021.
B60212.3 km
Turn left onto Sherwood Street.
Sherwood Street212 m
Turn left onto Marlborough Road.
Marlborough Road87 m
Turn left onto Gladstone Street.
Gladstone Street244 m
Turn right onto Lowmoor Road/B6021. Continue on B6021.
B60212.2 km
Turn right onto Newark Road/B6022.
Newark Road99 m
Turn left onto Hamilton Road.
Hamilton Road418 m
Turn left.
42 m
Turn right.
11 m
Turn left onto B6139.
B6139805 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Ashfield · Route 13 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.
Decide your lane and exit on the approach to each of these, get set up early.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near 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 5.7 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 (30, 40, 50, 60 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.
ETS Tyres and Autocentres
Start near ETS Tyres and Autocentres.
Kim Hair Studio
Continue to Kim Hair Studio.
Sutton Parkway
Continue to Sutton Parkway.
Vision West Notts College Engineering Innovation Centre
Continue to Vision West Notts College Engineering Innovation Centre.
Bridge Baptist Church
Continue to Bridge Baptist Church.
St Johns Methodist Church
Continue to St Johns Methodist Church.
Sutton Bus Station
Continue to Sutton Bus Station.
Studio Amirah
Continue to Studio Amirah.
Stringers Hairdresser
Continue to Stringers Hairdresser.
Leamington Drive
Continue to Leamington Drive, taking the junction with good observation.
St Joseph the Worker
Continue to St Joseph the Worker.
Sutton Christian Fellowship
Continue to Sutton Christian Fellowship.
Salvation Army - Sutton-in-Ashfield
Continue to Salvation Army - Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Speed The Plough
Continue to Speed The Plough.
Fox and Crown
Continue to Fox and Crown.
Ashfield Vans
Continue to Ashfield Vans.
Lion Motor Group
Continue to Lion Motor Group.
Taste Cafe
Continue to Taste Cafe.
Golden Stars
Continue to Golden Stars.
Kam Servicing
Finish back near Kam Servicing, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 10 turns · 11 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 12 turns · 8 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 12 turns · 11 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 11 turns · 9 sets of lights
This route is 33.2 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Ashfield test centre, not an official DVSA route.