Near Barnsley test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 15 turns across 24 navigation steps.
This is an independent 17.4 km practice loop near Barnsley test centre, taking roughly 30 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 Townend Roundabout. 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 pubs, churches, named junctions 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 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 63-step drive on real, named roads (about 17.4 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 Road1.8 km
Enter Townend Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A628/West Way.
Townend Roundabout94 m
Exit the roundabout onto A628/West Way.
A628405 m
Continue.
23 m
Keep left to take A628/West Way.
A628232 m
Enter Alhambra Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A61/Harborough Hill Road.
Alhambra Roundabout49 m
Exit the roundabout onto A61/Harborough Hill Road.
A61939 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.
A635367 m
Move right onto Cockerham Lane.
Cockerham Lane202 m
Turn right onto Honeywell Lane.
Honeywell Lane470 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 Road57 m
Turn left onto Clarke Street.
Clarke Street65 m
Turn right onto Westville Road.
Westville Road68 m
Turn right onto Cross Street.
Cross Street65 m
Turn left onto Bond Road.
Bond Road230 m
Turn left onto Cutty Lane.
Cutty Lane78 m
Turn left onto Westville Road.
Westville Road88 m
Turn left onto Salisbury Street.
Salisbury Street78 m
Turn right onto Bond Road.
Bond Road65 m
Turn right onto Cross Street.
Cross Street133 m
Turn right onto Kensington Road.
Kensington Road141 m
Turn right onto Salisbury Street.
Salisbury Street250 m
Turn right onto Granville Street.
Granville Street96 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 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 Road970 m
Turn right onto A6133/Park Road. Continue on A6133.
A61331.4 km
Turn right onto A628.
A62841 m
Turn left to stay on A628.
A62864 m
Keep left to take Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road381 m
Turn right to stay on Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road386 m
Turn right onto West Road.
West Road56 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Barnsley · Route 24 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
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Townend Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 6.7 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.
Townend Roundabout
Continue to Townend Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Holy Rood Catholic Church
Continue to Holy Rood Catholic Church.
Love Life UK Church
Continue to Love Life UK Church.
We Buy Any Car
Continue to We Buy Any Car.
Prince of Wales
Continue to Prince of Wales.
Old Mill Lane Campus
Continue to Old Mill Lane Campus.
Quaker Meeting House
Continue to Quaker Meeting House.
Rockingham Mini Market
Continue to Rockingham Mini Market.
Grey Horse
Continue to Grey Horse.
Emmanuel Methodist
Continue to Emmanuel Methodist.
Londis
Continue to Londis.
Gawber Pre-School
Continue to Gawber Pre-School.
New Inn
Continue to New Inn.
Summer Lane Primary School
Continue to Summer Lane Primary School.
Commercial Inn
Continue to Commercial Inn.
IT Services
Continue to IT Services.
Longcar Inn
Continue to Longcar Inn.
St Edward The Confessor
Finish back near St Edward The Confessor, 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 17.4 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Barnsley test centre, not an official DVSA route.