Near Atherton test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 3 roundabouts, 9 turns and 7 signalled junctions across 26 navigation steps.
This is an independent 48.0 km practice loop near Atherton 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 Talbot Roundabout. 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, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads, independent driving 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 named junctions, schools, shops and pubs, 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 Atherton 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 101-step drive on real, named roads (about 47.9 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west.
31 m
Turn right.
28 m
Turn right onto Gibfield Park Avenue.
Gibfield Park Avenue232 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Gibfield Park Avenue.
45 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gibfield Park Avenue.
Gibfield Park Avenue411 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Gibfield Park Way.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gibfield Park Way.
Gibfield Park Way655 m
Enter Talbot Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
Talbot Roundabout69 m
Exit the roundabout onto A579/Atherleigh Way. Continue on A579.
A5793.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
A579919 m
Turn left onto St Helens Road/A572.
St Helens Road458 m
Turn right onto Jean Avenue.
Jean Avenue246 m
Turn left onto Clifton Road.
Clifton Road164 m
Turn left onto Hand Lane.
Hand Lane340 m
Turn left onto St Helens Road/A572.
St Helens Road694 m
Turn right onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
A579973 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
A579560 m
Turn left onto Parsonage Roundabout/A578. Continue on A578.
A578344 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Wigan Road/A578.
50 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wigan Road/A578.
Wigan Road115 m
Turn right onto Clifton Street.
Clifton Street158 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Clifton Street.
Clifton Street159 m
Turn left onto Wigan Road/A578.
Wigan Road116 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Twist Lane/A578.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Twist Lane/A578. Continue on A578.
A578271 m
Move right onto Parsonage Roundabout/A578.
Parsonage Roundabout53 m
Move right onto Parsonage Roundabout/A578. Continue on A578.
A578589 m
Turn right onto King Street/A572. Continue on A572.
A5721.2 km
Turn left onto Hand Lane.
Hand Lane341 m
Turn right onto Clifton Road.
Clifton Road164 m
Turn right onto Jean Avenue.
Jean Avenue246 m
Turn left onto St Helens Road/A572.
St Helens Road482 m
Turn right onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
A579973 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
A5793.3 km
Turn left onto Lovers Lane/B5235.
Lovers Lane420 m
Turn left onto A577/Wigan Road.
A57732 m
Turn right onto Schofield Lane.
Schofield Lane23 m
Move left onto Schofield Lane/B5235. Continue on B5235.
B52351.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Leigh Road/B5235.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Leigh Road/B5235.
Leigh Road620 m
Turn left onto Washacre.
Washacre224 m
Turn left onto Furze Avenue.
Furze Avenue98 m
Turn right onto Birch Avenue.
Birch Avenue36 m
Turn left onto Chestnut Drive.
Chestnut Drive118 m
Turn left onto Townsfield Road.
Townsfield Road386 m
Turn right onto Washacre.
Washacre76 m
Turn right onto Leigh Road/B5235.
Leigh Road623 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Lower Leigh Road/B5235.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lower Leigh Road/B5235. Continue on B5235.
B52351.6 km
Turn left onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577472 m
Enter Talbot Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A577/Wigan Road.
Talbot Roundabout34 m
Exit the roundabout onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577569 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Gloucester Street.
10 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gloucester Street.
Gloucester Street1.1 km
Turn right onto Car Bank Street.
Car Bank Street256 m
Turn right onto Bolton Old Road.
Bolton Old Road137 m
Turn left onto Laburnum Street.
Laburnum Street109 m
Turn left onto Laburnum Avenue.
Laburnum Avenue112 m
Turn right onto Beech Street.
Beech Street131 m
Turn left onto Douglas Street.
Douglas Street236 m
Turn right onto A579/Bolton Road. Continue on A579.
A5792.5 km
Turn left onto A6/Manchester Road.
A61.9 km
Enter Chequerbent Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Manchester Road/A6.
Chequerbent Roundabout137 m
Exit the roundabout onto Manchester Road/A6.
Manchester Road852 m
Turn left onto Bolton Road/B5235.
Bolton Road632 m
Turn right onto Central Drive.
Central Drive225 m
Turn left onto The Avenue.
The Avenue146 m
Turn left onto King Street.
King Street305 m
Turn left onto Market Street.
Market Street158 m
Turn right onto Mill Street/B5235.
Mill Street160 m
Turn left onto A58/Cricketers Way.
A58254 m
Turn right onto Leigh Road/B5235.
Leigh Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Lower Leigh Road/B5235.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lower Leigh Road/B5235. Continue on B5235.
B52351.6 km
Turn left onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577472 m
Enter Talbot Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A577/Wigan Road.
Talbot Roundabout34 m
Exit the roundabout onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577360 m
Turn right onto Liscard Street.
Liscard Street430 m
Turn left onto Leigh Road/B5215. Continue on B5215.
B5215263 m
Turn left onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577274 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A577/Wigan Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577569 m
Enter Talbot Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
Talbot Roundabout36 m
Exit the roundabout onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
A579512 m
Turn right onto Lovers Lane/B5235.
Lovers Lane161 m
Turn right onto Walkdens Avenue.
Walkdens Avenue73 m
Turn left onto Chichester Avenue.
Chichester Avenue97 m
Turn left onto Cromer Drive.
Cromer Drive72 m
Turn left onto Lovers Lane/B5235.
Lovers Lane277 m
Turn right onto A579/Atherleigh Way. Continue on A579.
A5792.7 km
Turn right onto Parsonage Roundabout/A578.
Parsonage Roundabout49 m
Make a right U-turn at Parsonage Roundabout/A578 to stay on Parsonage Roundabout/A578.
Parsonage Roundabout63 m
Turn left onto A579/Atherleigh Way.
A5793.2 km
Enter Talbot Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Gibfield Park Way.
Talbot Roundabout26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gibfield Park Way.
Gibfield Park Way653 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Gibfield Park Avenue.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gibfield Park Avenue.
Gibfield Park Avenue249 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Atherton · Route 3 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
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Talbot Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 24.7 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 (20, 30, 40, 50 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.
Talbot Roundabout
Start near Talbot Roundabout.
Leigh Adult Learning Centre
Continue to Leigh Adult Learning Centre.
Diamond Carpets and Flooring
Continue to Diamond Carpets and Flooring.
Cocktail Club
Continue to Cocktail Club.
Oscars
Continue to Oscars.
Daisy Hill
Continue to Daisy Hill.
Rose Hill Tavern
Continue to Rose Hill Tavern.
Costcutter
Continue to Costcutter.
Talbot
Continue to Talbot.
Atherton Police Station
Continue to Atherton Police Station.
Atherton
Continue to Atherton.
St. Philip's C of E Primary School
Continue to St. Philip's C of E Primary School.
St Andrew's Church Over Hulton
Continue to St Andrew's Church Over Hulton.
St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
Continue to St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.
Dearden's Farm Shop
Continue to Dearden's Farm Shop.
Rose & Crown
Continue to Rose & Crown.
Westhoughton Pentecostal Church
Continue to Westhoughton Pentecostal Church.
Sacred Heart RC Church
Continue to Sacred Heart RC Church.
Letters Inn
Continue to Letters Inn.
Royal
Finish back near Royal, completing the loop.
7 roundabouts · 16 turns · 2 sets of lights
3 roundabouts · 14 turns · 4 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 18 turns · 7 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 14 turns · 5 sets of lights
This route is 48.0 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Atherton test centre, not an official DVSA route.