Near Barnsley test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts, 18 turns and 3 signalled junctions across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 33.1 km practice loop near Barnsley 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 Barugh Green Road and Whinby 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, 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 schools, pubs, shops and named junctions, 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 Barnsley 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 119-step drive on real, named roads (about 33.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive north.
36 m
Turn left onto West Road.
West Road84 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road287 m
Turn right onto Oakfield Walk.
Oakfield Walk285 m
Turn right onto Wharfedale Road.
Wharfedale Road45 m
Turn left to stay on Wharfedale Road.
Wharfedale Road35 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Wharfedale Road.
Wharfedale Road35 m
Turn left to stay on Wharfedale Road.
Wharfedale Road330 m
Turn left onto Church Street.
Church Street129 m
Turn right onto Beever Lane.
Beever Lane237 m
Turn right onto Redbrook Road.
Redbrook Road709 m
Turn left onto Rowland Road.
Rowland Road486 m
Turn left onto A635/Huddersfield Road. Continue on A635.
A635517 m
Turn left onto Ripley Grove.
Ripley Grove53 m
Turn left onto Wilthorpe Lane.
Wilthorpe Lane59 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Wilthorpe Lane.
Wilthorpe Lane59 m
Turn right onto Ripley Grove.
Ripley Grove53 m
Turn left onto A635/Wilthorpe Road. Continue on A635.
A635777 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 1st exit onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barnsley Road18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road458 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
46 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road291 m
Turn left onto Longley Street.
Longley Street53 m
Turn left onto Longley Close.
Longley Close90 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Longley Close.
Longley Close90 m
Turn left onto Longley Street.
Longley Street440 m
Turn left onto Lawrence Close.
Lawrence Close52 m
Turn left onto Stevenson Drive.
Stevenson Drive81 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Stevenson Drive.
Stevenson Drive81 m
Turn left onto Lawrence Close.
Lawrence Close330 m
Turn left onto Higham Common Road.
Higham Common Road642 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Higham Common Road.
98 m
Exit the roundabout onto Higham Common Road.
Higham Common Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A628/Whinby Road.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/Whinby Road.
A628300 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A628/Whinby Road.
58 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/Whinby Road.
A62895 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Barnsley Road/B6449.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barnsley Road/B6449.
Barnsley Road89 m
Turn right onto Castle View/B6449. Continue on B6449.
B6449445 m
Turn right onto Higham Lane.
Higham Lane188 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Higham Lane.
Higham Lane188 m
Turn left onto Barnsley Road/B6449. Continue on B6449.
B6449445 m
Turn left onto Barnsley Road/B6449.
Barnsley Road87 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A628/Whinby Road.
56 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/Whinby Road.
A628175 m
Enter Dodworth Interchange and take the 2nd exit onto A628/Dodworth Road.
Dodworth Interchange141 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/Dodworth Road. Continue on A628.
A628540 m
Turn left to stay on A628.
A6281.5 km
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Racecommon Road.
Townend Roundabout134 m
Exit the roundabout onto Racecommon Road.
Racecommon Road239 m
Turn left onto Clarendon Street.
Clarendon Street273 m
Turn right onto Princess Street.
Princess Street46 m
Turn left onto Mark Street.
Mark Street64 m
Turn right onto George Street.
George Street39 m
Turn right onto Castlereagh Street.
Castlereagh Street65 m
Turn right onto Princess Street.
Princess Street86 m
Turn left onto Pitt Street.
Pitt Street274 m
Turn right onto Racecommon Road.
Racecommon Road229 m
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A628.
Townend Roundabout3 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628.
A6281.9 km
Enter Dodworth Interchange and take the 2nd exit onto A628/Whinby Road.
Dodworth Interchange162 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/Whinby Road.
A628185 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Barnsley Road/B6449.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barnsley Road/B6449.
Barnsley Road89 m
Turn right onto Castle View/B6449. Continue on B6449.
B6449445 m
Turn right onto Higham Lane.
Higham Lane188 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Higham Lane.
Higham Lane188 m
Turn left onto Barnsley Road/B6449. Continue on B6449.
B6449445 m
Turn left onto Barnsley Road/B6449.
Barnsley Road87 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A628/Whinby Road.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/Whinby Road.
A62891 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A628/Whinby Road.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/Whinby Road.
A628303 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Higham Lane.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto Higham Lane.
Higham Lane1.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Higham Common Road.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Higham Common Road.
Higham Common Road2.2 km
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 3rd exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
Barnsley Road63 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637876 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 3rd exit onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barnsley Road59 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road75 m
Turn left onto Claycliffe Avenue.
Claycliffe Avenue197 m
Turn left onto Mawfield Road.
Mawfield Road59 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Mawfield Road.
Mawfield Road59 m
Turn right onto Claycliffe Avenue.
Claycliffe Avenue197 m
Turn right onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road72 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 3rd exit onto A635/Barugh Green Road.
Barnsley Road43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A635/Barugh Green Road. Continue on A635.
A635777 m
Turn right onto Ripley Grove.
Ripley Grove53 m
Turn left onto Wilthorpe Lane.
Wilthorpe Lane59 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Wilthorpe Lane.
Wilthorpe Lane59 m
Turn right onto Ripley Grove.
Ripley Grove53 m
Turn right onto A635/Wilthorpe Road. Continue on A635.
A635847 m
Turn right onto Greenfoot Lane.
Greenfoot Lane261 m
Turn left onto Granville Street.
Granville Street351 m
Turn left onto A635/Huddersfield Road.
A635750 m
Turn left onto Rowland Road.
Rowland Road486 m
Turn right onto Redbrook Road.
Redbrook Road458 m
Turn left onto Church Street.
Church Street327 m
Turn right onto Beever Lane.
Beever Lane237 m
Turn right onto Redbrook Road.
Redbrook Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road147 m
Turn left onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane972 m
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Shambles Street.
Townend Roundabout2 m
Exit the roundabout onto Shambles Street.
Shambles Street319 m
Turn left onto St Mary's Place.
St Mary's Place66 m
Turn left onto Westgate.
Westgate207 m
Turn right onto Sackville Street.
Sackville Street69 m
Turn left onto Fitzwilliam Street.
Fitzwilliam Street145 m
Turn right onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane813 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road886 m
Turn left to stay on Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road103 m
Turn left onto St Martins Close.
St Martins Close42 m
Turn left to stay on St Martins Close.
St Martins Close38 m
Turn right onto St Owens Drive.
St Owens Drive173 m
Turn right onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road242 m
Turn right onto West Road.
West Road56 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Barnsley · Route 10 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.
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 10.5 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.
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.
Gawber Pre-School
Start near Gawber Pre-School.
New Inn
Continue to New Inn.
Dollz
Continue to Dollz.
Chestnut Tree
Continue to Chestnut Tree.
Barugh Green Road
Continue to Barugh Green Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Engineers Arms
Continue to Engineers Arms.
General Grocer & Off Licence
Continue to General Grocer & Off Licence.
Barnsley Muslim Community Centre
Continue to Barnsley Muslim Community Centre.
Holy Rood Catholic Church
Continue to Holy Rood Catholic Church.
Tarn End Tap
Continue to Tarn End Tap.
Barnsley National Spiritualist Church
Continue to Barnsley National Spiritualist Church.
Whinby Road
Continue to Whinby Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Crown and Anchor
Continue to Crown and Anchor.
Pentagon Jeep
Continue to Pentagon Jeep.
Gems
Continue to Gems.
Emmanuel Methodist
Continue to Emmanuel Methodist.
A&E
Continue to A&E.
Summer Lane Primary School
Continue to Summer Lane Primary School.
Barnsley Sixth Form College
Continue to Barnsley Sixth Form College.
IT Services
Finish back near IT Services, completing the loop.
2 roundabouts · 26 turns · 3 sets of lights
2 roundabouts · 23 turns · 3 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 21 turns · 3 sets of lights
1 roundabout · 25 turns · 7 sets of lights
This route is 33.1 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Barnsley test centre, not an official DVSA route.