Near Atherton test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 7 roundabouts, 13 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 24 navigation steps.
This is an independent 55.7 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 Leigh Road. 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 shops, stations, pubs 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 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 95-step drive on real, named roads (about 55.7 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 1st exit onto North Road.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto North Road.
North Road958 m
Move right onto Platt Lane.
Platt Lane1.2 km
Turn left onto A58/Park Road. Continue on A58.
A581.1 km
Make a right U-turn at Mill Street/B5235 onto A58/Cricketers Way.
A58250 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 3rd exit onto A577/Wigan Road.
Talbot Roundabout63 m
Exit the roundabout onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577481 m
Turn right onto Schofield Lane.
Schofield Lane23 m
Move left onto Schofield Lane/B5235. Continue on B5235.
B52351.3 km
Turn left onto Lower Leigh Road.
Lower Leigh Road133 m
Turn left onto Hindley Road.
Hindley Road311 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Hindley Road.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hindley Road.
Hindley Road904 m
Turn left.
32 m
Turn right onto Hindley Road.
Hindley Road885 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hindley Road.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hindley Road.
Hindley Road58 m
Turn left onto Hartford Road.
Hartford Road381 m
Enter Leigh Road and take the 2nd exit onto Lower Leigh Road/B5235.
Leigh Road15 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 Street801 m
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street380 m
Turn left onto Alder Street.
Alder Street133 m
Turn left onto Alderfold Street.
Alderfold Street93 m
Turn left onto Bolton Old Road.
Bolton Old Road113 m
Turn left onto High Street.
High Street233 m
Turn left onto Tyldesley Road/A577.
Tyldesley Road134 m
Turn right onto Woodhouse Street.
Woodhouse Street46 m
Move left onto Millers Lane.
Millers Lane2.8 km
Turn right onto Green Lane.
Green Lane441 m
Move right onto Manchester Road/A572. Continue on A572.
A5721.4 km
Keep left to stay on A572.
A572588 m
Move right onto Spinning Jenny Way/A578. Continue on A578.
A578865 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Wigan Road/A578.
50 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wigan Road/A578. Continue on A578.
A5783.2 km
Turn left onto A577/Atherton Road.
A577340 m
Turn right onto Swan Lane.
Swan Lane412 m
Move left onto Green Lane.
Green Lane266 m
Turn left onto Crossdale Road.
Crossdale Road448 m
Move right onto Long Lane.
Long Lane25 m
Turn right to stay on Long Lane.
Long Lane431 m
Turn right onto Alder Lane.
Alder Lane869 m
Turn left onto Hindley Road.
Hindley Road498 m
Turn left onto Wearish Lane.
Wearish Lane1.1 km
Turn right onto A58/Wigan Road.
A582.1 km
Turn left onto James Street.
James Street610 m
Turn right onto Great Bank Road.
Great Bank Road683 m
Move right onto Wimberry Hill Road.
Wimberry Hill Road251 m
Keep right to stay on Wimberry Hill Road.
Wimberry Hill Road80 m
Turn right onto Chorley Road/A6. Continue on A6.
A6832 m
Turn right onto Church Street/B5236.
B52362.5 km
Turn left onto Wearish Lane.
Wearish Lane1.1 km
Turn right onto Hindley Road.
Hindley Road1.4 km
Turn right onto A577/Atherton Road.
A577913 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A577/Atherton Road.
64 m
Exit the roundabout onto A577/Atherton Road. Continue on A577.
A5773.1 km
Turn right onto Lovers Lane.
Lovers Lane416 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 1st exit onto A577/Wigan Road.
Talbot Roundabout5 m
Exit the roundabout onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577211 m
Turn left onto Durban Street.
Durban Street127 m
Turn left onto Telford Street.
Telford Street120 m
Turn right onto A577/Wigan Road.
A577128 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 Street886 m
Turn left onto First Avenue.
First Avenue150 m
Turn left onto Formby Avenue.
Formby Avenue109 m
Turn right onto Gloucester Street.
Gloucester Street495 m
Turn right onto Bag Lane.
Bag Lane713 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Gibfield Park Avenue.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Gibfield Park Avenue.
Gibfield Park Avenue160 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Atherton · 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.
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 17.9 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.
Pravins Off Licence
Start near Pravins Off Licence.
Daisy Hill
Continue to Daisy Hill.
Letters Inn
Continue to Letters Inn.
St James Church
Continue to St James Church.
Grey Man
Continue to Grey Man.
Leigh Road
Continue to Leigh Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Atherton Baptist Church
Continue to Atherton Baptist Church.
Central Methodist Church
Continue to Central Methodist Church.
Kingdom Hall
Continue to Kingdom Hall.
Taylor's Bar
Continue to Taylor's Bar.
St John
Continue to St John.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Continue to Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Westhoughton Gospel Hall
Continue to Westhoughton Gospel Hall.
Westhoughton
Continue to Westhoughton.
Parish Church of St. John The Evangelist
Continue to Parish Church of St. John The Evangelist.
Spinners Arms
Continue to Spinners Arms.
Hindley Green Family Church
Continue to Hindley Green Family Church.
Masons Arms
Continue to Masons Arms.
Leigh Adult Learning Centre
Continue to Leigh Adult Learning Centre.
St George
Finish back near St George, 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 55.7 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.