Near Barnsley test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 1 roundabout, 26 turns and 7 signalled junctions across 35 navigation steps.
This is an independent 35.8 km practice loop near Barnsley 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.
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, churches and stations, 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 111-step drive on real, named roads (about 35.7 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 right onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road646 m
Turn right onto Gawber Road.
Gawber Road468 m
Turn left onto Victoria Crescent.
Victoria Crescent137 m
Turn left onto Swift Street.
Swift Street170 m
Turn right onto Guest Road.
Guest Road70 m
Turn right onto Carrington Street.
Carrington Street85 m
Turn right onto Lingard Street.
Lingard Street180 m
Turn right onto Victoria Crescent.
Victoria Crescent145 m
Move right onto Victoria Crescent West.
Victoria Crescent West125 m
Turn left onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane547 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 Place112 m
Turn right onto Sadler Gate.
Sadler Gate75 m
Turn right onto Church Street.
Church Street17 m
Keep right to stay on Church Street.
Church Street118 m
Move right onto Shambles Street.
Shambles Street35 m
Keep left to stay on Shambles Street.
Shambles Street344 m
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Racecommon Road.
Townend Roundabout68 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 2nd exit onto Summer Lane.
Townend Roundabout45 m
Exit the roundabout onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane971 m
Turn right onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road147 m
Turn left onto Gawber Road.
Gawber Road850 m
Turn left onto Church Street.
Church Street327 m
Turn right onto Beever Lane.
Beever Lane237 m
Turn right onto Redbrook Road.
Redbrook Road1.7 km
Move left onto Victoria Road.
Victoria Road339 m
Turn right to take the A635 ramp.
A635102 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Church Street.
14 m
Exit the roundabout onto Church Street.
Church Street196 m
Keep left to take Regent Street.
Regent Street261 m
Move left onto Eldon Street North.
Eldon Street North467 m
Move right onto A635/Old Mill Lane.
A635125 m
Enter Old Mill Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Old Mill Lane/A61.
Old Mill Roundabout49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Mill Lane/A61. Continue on A61.
A611.9 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Wakefield Road/A61.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wakefield Road/A61. Continue on A61.
A612.1 km
Turn left onto Shaw Lane/B6428. Continue on B6428.
B6428425 m
Turn right onto New Road.
New Road582 m
Turn left onto Broadway.
Broadway225 m
Turn left onto Kingsway.
Kingsway261 m
Turn left onto Towngate/B6131. Continue on B6131.
B61311.5 km
Turn right onto Wakefield Road/A61.
Wakefield Road1.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Wakefield Road/A61.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wakefield Road/A61. Continue on A61.
A611.9 km
Enter Old Mill Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A61/Harborough Hill Road.
Old Mill Roundabout27 m
Exit the roundabout onto A61/Harborough Hill Road.
A61558 m
Take the exit.
A61175 m
Turn right onto A628/Kendray Street. Continue on Kendray Street.
Kendray Street108 m
Turn right onto Schwäbisch Gmünd Way.
Schwäbisch Gmünd Way343 m
Turn right onto Eldon Street North.
Eldon Street North296 m
Move right onto A635/Old Mill Lane.
A635125 m
Enter Old Mill Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A61/Harborough Hill Road.
Old Mill Roundabout152 m
Exit the roundabout onto A61/Harborough Hill Road.
A61558 m
Take the exit.
A61175 m
Turn right onto A628/Kendray Street.
A62839 m
Turn right to take the A61 ramp.
A61651 m
Enter Old Mill Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Old Mill Lane/A61.
Old Mill Roundabout149 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Mill Lane/A61. Continue on A61.
A611.9 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Wakefield Road/A61.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wakefield Road/A61.
Wakefield Road805 m
Turn left onto New Lodge Crescent.
New Lodge Crescent40 m
Turn left onto Wakefield Road.
Wakefield Road280 m
Move right onto Langsett Road.
Langsett Road60 m
Turn right onto Kirkstall Road.
Kirkstall Road231 m
Turn right onto New Lodge Crescent.
New Lodge Crescent90 m
Turn right onto Wakefield Road/A61.
Wakefield Road799 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Wakefield Road/A61.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wakefield Road/A61.
Wakefield Road899 m
Turn right onto Smithies Lane.
Smithies Lane773 m
Turn left onto Honeywell Grove.
Honeywell Grove58 m
Turn right onto Smithies Street.
Smithies Street98 m
Turn right to stay on Smithies Street.
Smithies Street1 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Smithies Street.
Smithies Street1 m
Turn left to stay on Smithies Street.
Smithies Street98 m
Turn left onto Honeywell Grove.
Honeywell Grove58 m
Turn left onto Smithies Lane.
Smithies Lane370 m
Turn left onto Carrington Avenue.
Carrington Avenue329 m
Turn left onto Honeywell Lane.
Honeywell Lane290 m
Turn left onto Honeywell Street.
Honeywell Street44 m
Move left onto Rockingham Street.
Rockingham Street55 m
Turn left onto Burton Street.
Burton Street63 m
Turn right onto Honeywell Lane.
Honeywell Lane270 m
Turn right onto Allendale Road.
Allendale Road279 m
Turn left onto Smithies Lane.
Smithies Lane270 m
Turn right onto Cavendish Road.
Cavendish Road137 m
Turn left onto A635/Huddersfield Road.
A6357 m
Turn right onto Bond Road.
Bond Road355 m
Turn left onto Cutty Lane.
Cutty Lane78 m
Turn left onto Westville Road.
Westville Road88 m
Turn left onto Salisbury Street.
Salisbury Street196 m
Turn left onto Granville Street.
Granville Street255 m
Turn left onto Greenfoot Lane.
Greenfoot Lane1.4 km
Turn left onto 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 19 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.
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 3.2 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.
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.
Summer Lane Primary School
Start near Summer Lane Primary School.
Moulders Arms
Continue to Moulders Arms.
Barnsley Sixth Form College
Continue to Barnsley Sixth Form College.
Holy Rood Catholic Church
Continue to Holy Rood Catholic Church.
Barnsley National Spiritualist Church
Continue to Barnsley National Spiritualist Church.
Polish Social Club
Continue to Polish Social Club.
Gawber Pre-School
Continue to Gawber Pre-School.
St Mary
Continue to St Mary.
Barnsley Transport Interchange
Continue to Barnsley Transport Interchange.
Polar Ford Barnsley
Continue to Polar Ford Barnsley.
Co-op Food
Continue to Co-op Food.
Station Garage
Continue to Station Garage.
St John the Evangelist
Continue to St John the Evangelist.
Talbot Inn
Continue to Talbot Inn.
Staincross Methodist Church
Continue to Staincross Methodist Church.
Eastfield Arms
Continue to Eastfield Arms.
Hammerton's
Continue to Hammerton's.
Barnsley Interchange
Continue to Barnsley Interchange.
Grey Horse
Continue to Grey Horse.
Tom Treddlehoyle
Finish back near Tom Treddlehoyle, 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 35.8 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Barnsley test centre, not an official DVSA route.