Near Barnsley test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 25 turns across 29 navigation steps.
This is an independent 45.2 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 Burton 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, shops, pubs 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 117-step drive on real, named roads (about 45.1 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 Road386 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 Road888 m
Turn right onto Gawber Road.
Gawber Road468 m
Turn left onto Victoria Crescent.
Victoria Crescent355 m
Turn left onto A635/Huddersfield Road.
A635558 m
Turn right onto High Balk.
High Balk38 m
Turn right to stay on High Balk.
High Balk46 m
Turn left onto A635/Huddersfield Road.
A635212 m
Turn left onto Cavendish Road.
Cavendish Road137 m
Turn left onto Cockerham Lane.
Cockerham Lane270 m
Turn right onto Allendale Road.
Allendale Road279 m
Turn left onto Honeywell Lane.
Honeywell Lane366 m
Turn left onto Honeywell Street.
Honeywell Street44 m
Turn right onto Honeywell Grove.
Honeywell Grove466 m
Turn left 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 right onto Smithies Lane.
Smithies Lane773 m
Turn left onto Wakefield Road/A61.
Wakefield Road903 m
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 Grove194 m
Turn right onto Carlton Street.
Carlton Street139 m
Turn right onto Stone Street.
Stone Street65 m
Turn left onto Halifax Street.
Halifax Street13 m
Turn right onto Rockingham Street.
Rockingham Street118 m
Turn right onto Smithies Lane.
Smithies Lane957 m
Turn left onto Wakefield Road/A61.
Wakefield Road156 m
Turn right onto Carlton Road/B6132.
Carlton Road245 m
Turn right onto Newhill Road.
Newhill Road731 m
Turn left onto Burton Bank Road.
Burton Bank Road263 m
Turn left onto Rotherham Road/A633.
Rotherham Road587 m
Turn left onto Carlton Road/B6132.
Carlton Road449 m
Turn left onto Wakefield Road/A61.
Wakefield Road156 m
Turn right onto Smithies Lane.
Smithies Lane957 m
Turn left onto Rockingham Street.
Rockingham Street394 m
Turn right onto Burton Street.
Burton Street63 m
Turn left onto Honeywell Lane.
Honeywell Lane94 m
Turn right onto Honeywell Street.
Honeywell Street394 m
Turn left onto A635/Old Mill Lane.
A635247 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.
Old Mill Lane245 m
Move right onto Old Tannery Road.
Old Tannery Road42 m
Turn right to stay on Old Tannery Road.
Old Tannery Road183 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Old Tannery Road.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Tannery Road.
Old Tannery Road101 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Burton Road.
40 m
Exit the roundabout onto Burton Road.
Burton Road655 m
Turn left onto Rotherham Road/A633.
Rotherham Road529 m
Turn right onto Byron Drive.
Byron Drive60 m
Turn right onto Wordsworth Road.
Wordsworth Road171 m
Turn right to stay on Wordsworth Road.
Wordsworth Road64 m
Turn left onto Rotherham Road/A633.
Rotherham Road1.6 km
Turn right to stay on Rotherham Road/A633.
Rotherham Road137 m
Turn right onto A628/Pontefract Road. Continue on A628.
A6282.7 km
Turn right to take the A61 ramp.
A61651 m
Enter Old Mill Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A635/Old Mill Lane.
Old Mill Roundabout55 m
Exit the roundabout onto A635/Old Mill Lane. Continue on A635.
A635705 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A635/Church Lane.
112 m
Exit the roundabout onto A635/Church Lane.
A63544 m
Move left onto A635/Huddersfield Road. Continue on A635.
A6352.8 km
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 Road488 m
Turn right onto Barugh Lane/B6428.
Barugh Lane771 m
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 2nd exit onto A635/Barugh Green Road.
Barnsley Road26 m
Exit the roundabout onto A635/Barugh Green Road. Continue on A635.
A6352.7 km
Turn left onto A635/Old Mill Lane.
A635666 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.
A61164 m
Move left onto A628/Pontefract Road.
A6282.7 km
Turn left onto Rotherham Road/A633.
Rotherham Road79 m
Keep left to stay on Rotherham Road/A633.
Rotherham Road1.3 km
Move left onto Burton Road.
Burton Road687 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Old Tannery Road.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Tannery Road.
Old Tannery Road103 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Old Tannery Road.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Tannery Road.
Old Tannery Road201 m
Move left onto Old Mill Lane/A61. Continue on A61.
A61244 m
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.
A611.0 km
Enter Alhambra Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A628/West Way.
Alhambra Roundabout76 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/West Way.
A628207 m
Keep left to stay on A628/West Way.
A628479 m
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Summer Lane.
Townend Roundabout82 m
Exit the roundabout onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane546 m
Turn right onto Victoria Crescent West.
Victoria Crescent West181 m
Turn left onto Gawber Road.
Gawber Road468 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road1.0 km
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 22 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 17.9 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.
Roundhouse News
Continue to Roundhouse News.
Hammerton's
Continue to Hammerton's.
One Stop
Continue to One Stop.
Honeywell
Continue to Honeywell.
Burton Road
Continue to Burton Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Bethel Chapel
Continue to Bethel Chapel.
Mount
Continue to Mount.
Quaker Meeting House
Continue to Quaker Meeting House.
Emmanuel Methodist
Continue to Emmanuel Methodist.
Chestnut Tree
Continue to Chestnut Tree.
Crown and Anchor
Continue to Crown and Anchor.
Gems
Continue to Gems.
Subway
Continue to Subway.
Oakwell Sandwich
Continue to Oakwell Sandwich.
Mill
Continue to Mill.
Cliffe Bridge Church
Continue to Cliffe Bridge Church.
Howdens Joinery
Continue to Howdens Joinery.
Holy Rood Catholic Church
Continue to Holy Rood Catholic Church.
Love Life UK Church
Finish back near Love Life UK Church, 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 45.2 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.