Near Barnsley test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 26 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 38 navigation steps.
This is an independent 31.1 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.
Along the way you'll meet Barnsley Road and Barugh Green 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 roundabout approach & exit, 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, named junctions, shops and churches, 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 116-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 Road140 m
Turn right onto Intake Lane.
Intake Lane279 m
Turn right onto Pennine Way.
Pennine Way77 m
Turn left onto Downes Crescent.
Downes Crescent283 m
Turn left to stay on Downes Crescent.
Downes Crescent71 m
Turn left onto Limes Avenue.
Limes Avenue101 m
Turn right onto Downes Crescent.
Downes Crescent136 m
Turn right onto Pennine Way.
Pennine Way77 m
Turn right onto Intake Lane.
Intake Lane467 m
Turn left onto Redbrook Road.
Redbrook Road663 m
Keep left to take Gawber Road.
Gawber Road131 m
Move left onto A635/Barugh Green Road.
A635147 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 4th exit onto A635/Barugh Green Road.
Barnsley Road74 m
Exit the roundabout onto A635/Barugh Green Road.
A635114 m
Keep straight to stay on A635.
A635119 m
Keep right to take A635/Wilthorpe Road.
A635544 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 left onto A635/Wilthorpe Road. Continue on A635.
A635663 m
Keep right to take A635/Barugh Green Road.
A635112 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 3rd exit onto Whaley Road.
Barnsley Road53 m
Exit the roundabout onto Whaley Road.
Whaley Road189 m
Turn left to stay on Whaley Road.
Whaley Road513 m
Turn left to stay on Whaley Road.
Whaley Road211 m
Turn left onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637512 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 4th exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
Barnsley Road80 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637878 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A637/Barnsley Road.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Barnsley Road.
A63792 m
Turn right onto Dearne Hall Road.
Dearne Hall Road101 m
Keep left to stay on Dearne Hall Road.
Dearne Hall Road367 m
Turn left onto Dearne Hall Road/B6428.
Dearne Hall Road64 m
Keep straight to stay on B6428.
B64281.6 km
Turn left onto Towngate/B6131. Continue on B6131.
B6131290 m
Keep right to take Darton Lane/B6131.
Darton Lane559 m
Turn left to stay on Darton Lane.
Darton Lane158 m
Move right onto Pye Avenue.
Pye Avenue298 m
Turn right onto Spark Lane/B6428.
Spark Lane1.2 km
Turn right onto Dearne Hall Road.
Dearne Hall Road9 m
Keep right to stay on Dearne Hall Road.
Dearne Hall Road459 m
Turn left onto A637/Barnsley Road.
A63783 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 6th exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
117 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.
A635147 m
Move right onto Gawber Road.
Gawber Road34 m
Keep right to stay on Gawber Road.
Gawber Road747 m
Turn right onto Church Street.
Church Street131 m
Keep straight to stay on Church Street.
Church Street195 m
Turn right onto Beever Lane.
Beever Lane212 m
Move left to stay on Beever Lane.
Beever Lane26 m
Turn left onto Redbrook Road.
Redbrook Road376 m
Keep left to take Gawber Road.
Gawber Road131 m
Move left onto A635/Barugh Green Road.
A635147 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 6th exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
Barnsley Road128 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637878 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 2nd exit onto A637/Barnsley Road.
Barnsley Road21 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Barnsley Road. Continue on A637.
A6371.4 km
Turn left onto Churchfield Lane.
Churchfield Lane101 m
Keep left to stay on Churchfield Lane.
Churchfield Lane218 m
Turn left onto Roman Road.
Roman Road419 m
Turn left onto Bence Lane.
Bence Lane596 m
Turn left onto Bence Close.
Bence Close140 m
Turn right to stay on Bence Close.
Bence Close8 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Bence Close.
Bence Close8 m
Turn left to stay on Bence Close.
Bence Close140 m
Turn left onto Bence Lane.
Bence Lane107 m
Turn right onto A637/Barnsley Road.
A637615 m
Keep right to stay on A637/Barnsley Road.
A63760 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637876 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 4th exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
Barnsley Road80 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637871 m
Keep right to stay on A637/Claycliffe Road.
A6377 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 4th exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
Barnsley Road71 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637875 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 4th exit onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
Barnsley Road80 m
Exit the roundabout onto A637/Claycliffe Road.
A637879 m
Enter Barnsley Road and take the 1st exit onto Barugh Lane/B6428.
Barnsley Road8 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barugh Lane/B6428.
Barugh Lane771 m
Turn left onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road197 m
Turn right 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 right onto Longley Street.
Longley Street53 m
Turn right onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road291 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road14 m
Keep left to stay on Barugh Green Road/A635.
Barugh Green Road441 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.
A635114 m
Keep straight to stay on A635.
A635119 m
Keep right to take A635/Wilthorpe Road.
A6351.4 km
Keep left to take A635/Huddersfield Road.
A635459 m
Turn right onto Granville Street.
Granville Street351 m
Turn right onto Greenfoot Lane.
Greenfoot Lane261 m
Turn left onto A635/Huddersfield Road.
A635123 m
Turn left onto Queens Drive.
Queens Drive565 m
Turn left onto Gawber Road.
Gawber Road622 m
Turn right onto Victoria Crescent West.
Victoria Crescent West56 m
Move right to stay on Victoria Crescent West.
Victoria Crescent West125 m
Turn left onto Summer Lane.
Summer Lane153 m
Turn left onto Keir Street.
Keir Street196 m
Turn left onto Sackville Street.
Sackville Street54 m
Turn left to stay on Sackville Street.
Sackville Street576 m
Turn left onto Pogmoor Road.
Pogmoor Road1.1 km
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 Road241 m
Turn right onto West Road.
West Road57 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Barnsley · Route 6 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 12.0 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.
New Inn
Continue to New Inn.
Barnsley Road
Continue to Barnsley Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Aldi
Continue to Aldi.
Royal Hotel
Continue to Royal Hotel.
Millers Inn
Continue to Millers Inn.
King's Head
Continue to King's Head.
Staincross Christian Fellowship
Continue to Staincross Christian Fellowship.
Pentagon Jeep
Continue to Pentagon Jeep.
Gawber Pre-School
Continue to Gawber Pre-School.
Rose and Crown
Continue to Rose and Crown.
Crown and Anchor
Continue to Crown and Anchor.
Little India
Continue to Little India.
Barugh Green Road
Continue to Barugh Green Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Chestnut Tree
Continue to Chestnut Tree.
Tesco Express
Continue to Tesco Express.
Emmanuel Methodist
Continue to Emmanuel Methodist.
Barnsley Recovery and Wellbeing College
Continue to Barnsley Recovery and Wellbeing College.
Moulders Arms
Continue to Moulders Arms.
Summer Lane Primary School
Finish back near Summer Lane Primary School, 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 31.1 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.