Near Barnsley test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 1 roundabout, 27 turns and 7 signalled junctions across 39 navigation steps.
This is an independent 29.8 km practice loop near Barnsley test centre, taking roughly 50 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, 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 pubs, churches, shops and schools, 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 106-step drive on real, named roads (about 29.8 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 Road386 m
Turn left to stay on Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road142 m
Turn right onto Westmoor Crescent.
Westmoor Crescent163 m
Turn right onto Longside Way.
Longside Way124 m
Turn right onto Britland Close.
Britland Close81 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Britland Close.
Britland Close81 m
Turn right onto Longside Way.
Longside Way138 m
Turn left onto Harden Close.
Harden Close74 m
Turn left onto Westmoor Crescent.
Westmoor Crescent392 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road142 m
Turn right to stay on Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road386 m
Turn right onto West Road.
West Road131 m
Turn left onto Cresswell Street.
Cresswell Street110 m
Turn left to stay on Cresswell Street.
Cresswell Street95 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road537 m
Turn left to stay on Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road1.2 km
Turn right onto Shaw Lane.
Shaw Lane128 m
Turn left onto South Street.
South Street82 m
Turn left onto A628/Dodworth Road.
A6281.4 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.
B6449696 m
Turn left onto Hawthorne Crescent.
Hawthorne Crescent182 m
Turn left onto Barnsley Road/B6449.
Barnsley Road216 m
Turn right onto Barnsley Road/B6449. Continue on B6449.
B6449476 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 1st exit onto Summer Lane.
Townend Roundabout6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane344 m
Turn left onto Station Road.
Station Road118 m
Turn left onto Farrar Street.
Farrar Street55 m
Turn left onto Newton Street.
Newton Street136 m
Turn right onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane298 m
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Racecommon Road.
Townend Roundabout97 m
Exit the roundabout onto Racecommon Road.
Racecommon Road970 m
Turn right onto A6133/Park Road. Continue on A6133.
A6133546 m
Turn right onto Keresforth Close.
Keresforth Close210 m
Turn left.
14 m
Make a right U-turn.
14 m
Turn right onto Keresforth Close.
Keresforth Close199 m
Turn left onto A6133/Broadway. Continue on A6133.
A6133224 m
Turn right onto Keresforth Hill Road/B6099. Continue on B6099.
B60991.4 km
Turn left onto Green Lane.
Green Lane349 m
Turn right onto Saville Road.
Saville Road299 m
Turn right onto The Link.
The Link199 m
Turn left onto Green Lane.
Green Lane77 m
Turn right onto Keresforth Road/B6099. Continue on B6099.
B60991.4 km
Turn left onto A6133/Broadway.
A6133226 m
Turn right onto Keresforth Close.
Keresforth Close210 m
Turn left.
14 m
Make a right U-turn.
14 m
Turn right onto Keresforth Close.
Keresforth Close199 m
Turn left onto A6133/Broadway. Continue on A6133.
A6133529 m
Turn left onto Racecommon Road.
Racecommon Road720 m
Turn right onto Clarendon Street.
Clarendon Street479 m
Turn right onto Blucher Street.
Blucher Street96 m
Turn left onto Lower Castlereagh Street.
Lower Castlereagh Street77 m
Turn left onto Wellington Street.
Wellington Street115 m
Turn left onto Pitt Street.
Pitt Street288 m
Turn left onto Princess Street.
Princess Street86 m
Turn left onto Castlereagh Street.
Castlereagh Street65 m
Turn left onto George Street.
George Street39 m
Turn left onto Mark Street.
Mark Street64 m
Turn right onto Princess Street.
Princess Street46 m
Turn right onto Pitt Street.
Pitt Street205 m
Turn right onto Blucher Street.
Blucher Street96 m
Turn left onto Lower Castlereagh Street.
Lower Castlereagh Street77 m
Turn left onto Wellington Street.
Wellington Street115 m
Move right onto Peel Square.
Peel Square36 m
Turn left onto Peel Street.
Peel Street301 m
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Shambles Street.
Townend Roundabout153 m
Exit the roundabout onto Shambles Street.
Shambles Street319 m
Turn left onto St Mary's Place.
St Mary's Place281 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A635/Church Lane.
23 m
Exit the roundabout onto A635/Church Lane.
A63544 m
Move left onto A635/Huddersfield Road.
A63523 m
Turn left onto Victoria Road.
Victoria Road356 m
Move right onto Sackville Street.
Sackville Street576 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road576 m
Turn left onto Mary's Place.
Mary's Place46 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Mary's Place.
Mary's Place46 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road357 m
Turn right onto Oakfield Walk.
Oakfield Walk285 m
Turn right onto Wharfedale Road.
Wharfedale Road375 m
Turn left onto Church Street.
Church Street129 m
Turn right onto Beever Lane.
Beever Lane237 m
Turn right onto Redbrook Road.
Redbrook Road1.7 km
Turn right onto Sackville Street.
Sackville Street303 m
Turn right 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 13 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.
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 6.8 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.
Tom Treddlehoyle
Start near Tom Treddlehoyle.
Barnsley Muslim Community Centre
Continue to Barnsley Muslim Community Centre.
General Grocer & Off Licence
Continue to General Grocer & Off Licence.
Shaws
Continue to Shaws.
Smiths Food Bar
Continue to Smiths Food Bar.
George And Dragon
Continue to George And Dragon.
Barnsley Trades Club
Continue to Barnsley Trades Club.
St Edward The Confessor
Continue to St Edward The Confessor.
Samantha's Salon
Continue to Samantha's Salon.
Barnsley National Spiritualist Church
Continue to Barnsley National Spiritualist Church.
Love Life UK Church
Continue to Love Life UK Church.
Holy Rood Catholic Church
Continue to Holy Rood Catholic Church.
Opium
Continue to Opium.
St Mary
Continue to St Mary.
Barnsley Recovery and Wellbeing College
Continue to Barnsley Recovery and Wellbeing College.
Summer Lane Primary School
Continue to Summer Lane Primary School.
Gawber Pre-School
Continue to Gawber Pre-School.
A&E
Continue to A&E.
Tin Oyle
Continue to Tin Oyle.
Polish Social Club
Finish back near Polish Social Club, 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 29.8 km and takes about 50 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Barnsley test centre, not an official DVSA route.