Near Banbury test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 12 roundabouts, 11 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 31 navigation steps.
This is an independent 23.0 km practice route near Banbury 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.
Along the way you'll meet Concord Roundabout and Castle 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, 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 schools, churches, 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 Banbury 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 103-step drive on real, named roads (about 23.0 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southeast.
22 m
Turn left onto Mewburn Road.
Mewburn Road262 m
Turn left onto Kingsway.
Kingsway138 m
Turn left onto Beargarden Road.
Beargarden Road18 m
Turn right onto West Bar Street/B4035. Continue on B4035.
B4035322 m
Enter Banbury Cross and take the 2nd exit onto High Street.
Banbury Cross23 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street.
High Street228 m
Move right onto George Street.
George Street385 m
Turn left onto Cherwell Street/A4260.
Cherwell Street183 m
Make a right U-turn at Bridge Street to stay on Cherwell Street/A4260.
Cherwell Street192 m
Turn right onto George Street.
George Street203 m
Move left onto Broad Street.
Broad Street184 m
Turn left onto Gatteridge Street.
Gatteridge Street230 m
Turn left onto Upper Windsor Street/A4260. Continue on A4260.
A4260413 m
Turn right onto Bridge Street.
Bridge Street262 m
Move left onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road214 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Middleton Road.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road470 m
Turn left onto Daventry Road.
Daventry Road266 m
Turn left onto Grimsbury Drive.
Grimsbury Drive126 m
Turn left to stay on Grimsbury Drive.
Grimsbury Drive191 m
Turn right onto Manor Road.
Manor Road249 m
Turn left onto Grimsbury Green.
Grimsbury Green313 m
Turn right onto Fowler Road.
Fowler Road301 m
Turn left onto Cockington Green.
Cockington Green73 m
Turn right onto Broome Way.
Broome Way205 m
Turn left onto Wellington Avenue.
Wellington Avenue246 m
Turn right onto Waterloo Drive.
Waterloo Drive286 m
Turn left onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road138 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Middleton Road.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road470 m
Turn left onto Daventry Road.
Daventry Road266 m
Turn left onto Grimsbury Drive.
Grimsbury Drive126 m
Turn left to stay on Grimsbury Drive.
Grimsbury Drive191 m
Turn right onto Manor Road.
Manor Road115 m
Turn right onto Grimsbury Square.
Grimsbury Square83 m
Turn right to stay on Grimsbury Square.
Grimsbury Square101 m
Turn right to stay on Grimsbury Square.
Grimsbury Square47 m
Turn left onto Grimsbury Drive.
Grimsbury Drive126 m
Turn right onto Daventry Road.
Daventry Road266 m
Turn right onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road470 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Middleton Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road228 m
Move right onto Bridge Street.
Bridge Street235 m
Turn left onto Cherwell Street/A4260.
Cherwell Street170 m
Turn right onto George Street.
George Street203 m
Move left onto Broad Street.
Broad Street184 m
Turn left onto Gatteridge Street.
Gatteridge Street230 m
Turn left onto Upper Windsor Street/A4260. Continue on A4260.
A4260413 m
Turn right onto Bridge Street.
Bridge Street262 m
Move left onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road214 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Middleton Road.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road835 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Middleton Road.
92 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road839 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Middleton Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road228 m
Move right onto Bridge Street.
Bridge Street235 m
Turn left onto Cherwell Street/A4260.
Cherwell Street170 m
Turn right onto George Street.
George Street203 m
Move left onto Broad Street.
Broad Street184 m
Turn right onto Marlborough Road.
Marlborough Road210 m
Keep left to stay on Marlborough Road.
Marlborough Road27 m
Turn left onto High Street.
High Street150 m
Enter Banbury Cross and take the 3rd exit onto Horse Fair/A361.
Banbury Cross39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Horse Fair/A361. Continue on A361.
A361380 m
Turn left onto Warwick Road/B4100.
Warwick Road787 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Warwick Road/B4100.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Warwick Road/B4100. Continue on Warwick Road.
Warwick Road85 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Ruscote Avenue/A422.
46 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ruscote Avenue/A422.
Ruscote Avenue301 m
Turn right to stay on Ruscote Avenue/A422.
Ruscote Avenue13 m
Turn left to stay on Ruscote Avenue/A422.
Ruscote Avenue101 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Ruscote Avenue/A422.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ruscote Avenue/A422.
Ruscote Avenue592 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Ruscote Avenue/A422.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ruscote Avenue/A422.
Ruscote Avenue168 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A422/Hennef Way.
55 m
Exit the roundabout onto A422/Hennef Way.
A422474 m
Enter Concord Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A422/Hennef Way.
Concord Roundabout43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A422/Hennef Way. Continue on A422.
A422735 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Ermont Way.
101 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ermont Way.
Ermont Way429 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Ermont Way.
88 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ermont Way.
Ermont Way439 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A422/Hennef Way.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto A422/Hennef Way. Continue on A422.
A422730 m
Enter Concord Roundabout and take the 1st exit towards Chipping Norton/Adderbury/Town Centre/Station.
Concord Roundabout4 m
Exit the roundabout towards Chipping Norton/Adderbury/Town Centre/Station.
Concord Avenue650 m
Enter Castle Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Cherwell Drive.
Castle Roundabout34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cherwell Drive.
Cherwell Drive142 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Cherwell Drive.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cherwell Drive.
Cherwell Drive287 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Castle Street.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto Castle Street.
Castle Street1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Warwick Road/B4100.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Warwick Road/B4100. Continue on Warwick Road.
Warwick Road85 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Warwick Road.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto Warwick Road.
Warwick Road85 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Warwick Road/B4100.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto Warwick Road/B4100.
Warwick Road536 m
Turn right onto Bath Road.
Bath Road368 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Banbury · Route 6 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.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
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 Concord Roundabout, Castle Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 2.2 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.
Meadowbrook college
Start near Meadowbrook college.
Salvation Army - Banbury
Continue to Salvation Army - Banbury.
Cross Embroidery
Continue to Cross Embroidery.
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Continue to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Saint Leonards
Continue to Saint Leonards.
Subway
Continue to Subway.
Kwik Fit
Continue to Kwik Fit.
Pepper Pot
Continue to Pepper Pot.
Marlborough Road Methodist Church
Continue to Marlborough Road Methodist Church.
Friends Meeting House
Continue to Friends Meeting House.
Quaker Meeting House
Continue to Quaker Meeting House.
Saint Paul's
Continue to Saint Paul's.
Musketeer
Continue to Musketeer.
MG
Continue to MG.
Concord Roundabout
Continue to Concord Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Hotel Chocolat
Continue to Hotel Chocolat.
Castle Roundabout
Continue to Castle Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
JT's
Continue to JT's.
Hairways Barbers
Continue to Hairways Barbers.
People's Park Community Garden
Finish back near People's Park Community Garden, completing the loop.
16 roundabouts · 9 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 17 turns · 2 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 20 turns · 3 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 11 turns · 2 sets of lights
This route is 23.0 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Banbury test centre, not an official DVSA route.