Near Barking Quay test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 2 roundabouts, 10 turns and 1 signalled junction across 17 navigation steps.
This is an independent 37.7 km practice route near Barking Quay test centre, taking roughly 25 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, 20 mph zones, 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 pubs, stations, churches 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 Barking Quay 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 98-step drive on real, named roads (about 37.7 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southeast on Fanshawe Avenue/A123.
Fanshawe Avenue124 m
Keep left to stay on Fanshawe Avenue/A123.
Fanshawe Avenue288 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Longbridge Road/A124.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Longbridge Road/A124.
Longbridge Road20 m
Turn left to stay on Longbridge Road/A124.
Longbridge Road1.6 km
Turn left onto Broadhurst Avenue.
Broadhurst Avenue292 m
Turn left onto Ashburton Avenue.
Ashburton Avenue419 m
Turn left onto Brixham Gardens.
Brixham Gardens201 m
Turn left onto Seaton Avenue.
Seaton Avenue81 m
Turn left onto Tavistock Gardens.
Tavistock Gardens457 m
Turn left onto Dawlish Drive.
Dawlish Drive121 m
Move right to stay on Dawlish Drive.
Dawlish Drive8 m
Turn right onto South Park Drive.
South Park Drive836 m
Turn right onto Green Lane/A1083.
Green Lane131 m
Keep left to stay on Green Lane/A1083.
Green Lane94 m
Turn left onto New Road.
New Road346 m
Turn right onto High Road/A118.
High Road160 m
Keep right to stay on High Road/A118.
High Road89 m
Turn left onto Cameron Road.
Cameron Road354 m
Turn right onto Aldborough Road South.
Aldborough Road South796 m
Turn left onto Brook Road.
Brook Road376 m
Turn left onto A12/Eastern Avenue.
A12657 m
Take the exit on the right.
95 m
Turn right onto Horns Road.
Horns Road1.5 km
Turn right onto Craven Gardens.
Craven Gardens729 m
Move left to stay on Craven Gardens.
Craven Gardens23 m
Enter Fullwell Cross Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Fencepiece Road/A123.
Fullwell Cross Roundabout101 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fencepiece Road/A123.
Fencepiece Road150 m
Move right to stay on Fencepiece Road.
Fencepiece Road8 m
Move left onto Tomswood Hill.
Tomswood Hill800 m
Keep left to stay on Tomswood Hill.
Tomswood Hill1.2 km
Keep left to take Turpin's Lane.
Turpin's Lane223 m
Turn left onto Love Lane.
Love Lane56 m
Turn right onto Smeaton Road.
Smeaton Road186 m
Turn left onto Chigwell Road/A113.
Chigwell Road550 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Chigwell Road/A113.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Chigwell Road/A113.
Chigwell Road112 m
Turn left onto Roding Lane North.
Roding Lane North31 m
Keep right to stay on Roding Lane North.
Roding Lane North1.9 km
Turn left onto A1400/Woodford Avenue.
A14001.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A1400/Woodford Avenue.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1400/Woodford Avenue.
A1400784 m
Enter Gants Hill Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Cranbrook Road/A123.
Gants Hill Roundabout78 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cranbrook Road/A123.
Cranbrook Road1.5 km
Keep left to stay on Cranbrook Road/A123.
Cranbrook Road946 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Ilford Lane/A123.
56 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ilford Lane/A123.
Ilford Lane769 m
Keep right to stay on Ilford Lane/A123.
Ilford Lane430 m
Turn left onto Loxford Lane.
Loxford Lane322 m
Turn right onto Medway Close.
Medway Close360 m
Turn right onto Loxford Lane.
Loxford Lane289 m
Keep left to stay on Loxford Lane.
Loxford Lane667 m
Turn right onto South Park Drive.
South Park Drive14 m
Keep left to stay on South Park Drive.
South Park Drive147 m
Turn left onto Ashburton Avenue.
Ashburton Avenue160 m
Turn right onto Brixham Gardens.
Brixham Gardens308 m
Turn left onto Longbridge Road/A124.
Longbridge Road943 m
Turn right to stay on Longbridge Road/A124.
Longbridge Road447 m
Turn right onto Becontree Avenue.
Becontree Avenue45 m
Move left onto Lodge Avenue.
Lodge Avenue1.1 km
Turn right onto Lodge Avenue/A1153. Continue on Lodge Avenue.
Lodge Avenue953 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Ripple Road/A123.
10 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ripple Road/A123.
Ripple Road37 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Ripple Road/A123.
99 m
Exit the roundabout onto Ripple Road/A123.
Ripple Road2.3 km
Enter St Paul's Road and take the 3rd exit onto Broadway.
St Paul's Road104 m
Exit the roundabout onto Broadway.
Broadway390 m
Turn right onto London Road.
London Road211 m
Move left onto Linton Road.
Linton Road146 m
Turn right onto Cambridge Road.
Cambridge Road217 m
Turn left onto Station Parade.
Station Parade43 m
Turn right.
80 m
Make a right U-turn.
80 m
Turn left onto Station Parade.
Station Parade43 m
Turn right onto Cambridge Road.
Cambridge Road402 m
Turn left onto North Street.
North Street445 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto St Paul's Road/A123.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto St Paul's Road/A123.
St Paul's Road259 m
Move right onto Axe Street/A123.
Axe Street35 m
Turn right to stay on A123.
A123603 m
Keep right to take Ripple Road/A123.
Ripple Road785 m
Turn left onto Stuart Road.
Stuart Road76 m
Turn left onto Dawson Avenue.
Dawson Avenue94 m
Turn right onto Tresham Road.
Tresham Road141 m
Turn right onto Lambourne Road.
Lambourne Road170 m
Move right to stay on Lambourne Road.
Lambourne Road153 m
Turn right onto Dawson Avenue.
Dawson Avenue95 m
Turn left onto Stuart Road.
Stuart Road76 m
Turn right onto Ripple Road/A123.
Ripple Road1.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto St Paul's Road/A123.
57 m
Exit the roundabout onto St Paul's Road/A123.
St Paul's Road220 m
Turn left onto Abbey Road.
Abbey Road466 m
Turn left onto Boundary Road.
Boundary Road244 m
Turn left onto Gascoigne Road.
Gascoigne Road405 m
Enter St Paul's Road and take the 2nd exit onto Broadway.
St Paul's Road65 m
Exit the roundabout onto Broadway.
Broadway700 m
Turn right onto Barking Northern Relief Road/A124.
Barking Northern Relief Road125 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Barking Quay · Route 7 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 3.0 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 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.
Royal Oak
Start near Royal Oak.
Seven Kings
Continue to Seven Kings.
St John the Evangelist, Seven Kings
Continue to St John the Evangelist, Seven Kings.
St Theresa's
Continue to St Theresa's.
New Fairlop Oak
Continue to New Fairlop Oak.
Manor Road
Continue to Manor Road.
Roding Lane North
Continue to Roding Lane North.
Woodford / Roding Lane North
Continue to Woodford / Roding Lane North.
Woodford / Roding Lane South
Continue to Woodford / Roding Lane South.
Glenwood Gardens
Continue to Glenwood Gardens.
Wycombe Road
Continue to Wycombe Road.
Ilford
Continue to Ilford.
Loxford General Store
Continue to Loxford General Store.
St Cedd's Church
Continue to St Cedd's Church.
Roundhouse
Continue to Roundhouse.
Salvation Army Church
Continue to Salvation Army Church.
Barking Celestial Church of Christ
Continue to Barking Celestial Church of Christ.
Upney
Continue to Upney.
Boundary Road
Continue to Boundary Road.
Gascoigne Primary School
Finish back near Gascoigne Primary School, completing the loop.
5 roundabouts · 16 turns
6 roundabouts · 17 turns · 5 sets of lights
2 roundabouts · 15 turns · 1 set of lights
8 roundabouts · 19 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 37.7 km and takes about 25 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Barking Quay test centre, not an official DVSA route.