Near Birmingham (South Yardley) test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 18 turns and 3 signalled junctions across 31 navigation steps.
This is an independent 59.0 km practice loop near Birmingham (South Yardley) 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, 20 mph zones, 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, parks, 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 Birmingham (South Yardley) 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 138-step drive on real, named roads (about 59.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive north on Clay Lane.
Clay Lane727 m
Turn left onto A45/Coventry Road.
A4595 m
Move left.
347 m
Enter Swan Island and take the 4th exit onto A45/Coventry Road.
Swan Island187 m
Exit the roundabout onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45578 m
Take the exit on the right.
62 m
Turn right onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45171 m
Turn left onto Clay Lane.
Clay Lane913 m
Turn left to stay on Clay Lane.
Clay Lane199 m
Turn left onto Bosworth Road.
Bosworth Road667 m
Turn right onto Lincoln Close.
Lincoln Close94 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Lincoln Close.
Lincoln Close94 m
Turn right onto Lincoln Road North.
Lincoln Road North214 m
Turn left onto The Avenue.
The Avenue61 m
Turn right onto Lincoln Road.
Lincoln Road272 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A412.8 km
Keep right to stay on Warwick Road.
Warwick Road492 m
Turn right onto Ashleigh Road.
Ashleigh Road383 m
Turn right onto Streetsbrook Road/B4025.
Streetsbrook Road229 m
Move right onto Broad Oaks Road.
Broad Oaks Road935 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A412.1 km
Turn left onto Brookvale Road.
Brookvale Road706 m
Turn right onto Kineton Green Road.
Kineton Green Road1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Grange Road.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Grange Road.
Grange Road789 m
Turn right onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41969 m
Keep right to stay on Warwick Road.
Warwick Road492 m
Turn right onto Ashleigh Road.
Ashleigh Road383 m
Turn right onto Streetsbrook Road/B4025.
Streetsbrook Road229 m
Move right onto Broad Oaks Road.
Broad Oaks Road935 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A411.7 km
Turn right onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road1.3 km
Turn left onto Barn Lane.
Barn Lane13 m
Turn right onto Wagon Lane.
Wagon Lane869 m
Turn left onto A45/New Coventry Road. Continue on A45.
A45570 m
Take the exit on the right.
73 m
Turn right onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45196 m
Turn left onto Brays Road.
Brays Road84 m
Turn left onto Herondale Road.
Herondale Road447 m
Move left onto Sunnymead Road.
Sunnymead Road104 m
Turn left onto Rowlands Road.
Rowlands Road17 m
Turn right to stay on Rowlands Road.
Rowlands Road786 m
Turn right onto Church Road.
Church Road508 m
Turn left onto Dove Close.
Dove Close156 m
Turn left onto The Cedars.
The Cedars6 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on The Cedars.
The Cedars6 m
Turn right to stay on The Cedars.
The Cedars156 m
Turn right onto Church Road.
Church Road508 m
Turn left onto Yew Tree Lane.
Yew Tree Lane740 m
Turn right.
29 m
Turn left onto A45/Coventry Road.
A451.3 km
Take the exit on the right.
Coventry Road140 m
Turn right onto Lyndon Road.
Lyndon Road233 m
Turn left onto Melton Avenue.
Melton Avenue599 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hobs Moat Road/B425.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hobs Moat Road/B425.
Hobs Moat Road841 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Lode Lane/B425.
49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lode Lane/B425.
Lode Lane549 m
Turn right onto Dovehouse Lane.
Dovehouse Lane1.0 km
Turn left onto Heaton Road.
Heaton Road344 m
Turn right onto Melford Hall Road.
Melford Hall Road193 m
Turn right onto A41/Warwick Road.
A411.3 km
Turn right onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road1.3 km
Turn left onto Barn Lane.
Barn Lane13 m
Turn right onto Wagon Lane.
Wagon Lane869 m
Turn left onto A45/New Coventry Road. Continue on A45.
A45570 m
Take the exit on the right.
73 m
Turn right onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45196 m
Turn left onto Brays Road.
Brays Road84 m
Turn left onto Herondale Road.
Herondale Road447 m
Move left onto Sunnymead Road.
Sunnymead Road104 m
Turn left onto Rowlands Road.
Rowlands Road17 m
Turn right to stay on Rowlands Road.
Rowlands Road786 m
Turn right onto Church Road.
Church Road508 m
Turn left onto Dove Close.
Dove Close156 m
Turn left onto The Cedars.
The Cedars6 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on The Cedars.
The Cedars6 m
Turn right to stay on The Cedars.
The Cedars156 m
Turn right onto Church Road.
Church Road508 m
Turn left onto Yew Tree Lane.
Yew Tree Lane740 m
Turn right.
29 m
Turn left onto A45/Coventry Road.
A451.3 km
Take the exit on the right.
Coventry Road140 m
Turn right onto Lyndon Road.
Lyndon Road233 m
Turn left onto Melton Avenue.
Melton Avenue599 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hobs Moat Road/B425.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hobs Moat Road/B425.
Hobs Moat Road841 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Lode Lane/B425.
49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lode Lane/B425. Continue on Lode Lane.
Lode Lane1.3 km
Make a left U-turn at Lode Lane to stay on Lode Lane.
Lode Lane141 m
Turn right onto Bramcote Drive.
Bramcote Drive63 m
Turn right onto Barnmoor Rise.
Barnmoor Rise20 m
Turn left.
55 m
Turn left onto Bramcote Drive.
Bramcote Drive135 m
Turn left onto Lode Lane.
Lode Lane126 m
Make a right U-turn at Lode Lane to stay on Lode Lane.
Lode Lane1.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Old Lode Lane.
64 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Lode Lane.
Old Lode Lane675 m
Turn right onto Tanhouse Farm Road.
Tanhouse Farm Road105 m
Turn right onto Farmstead Road.
Farmstead Road114 m
Turn left onto Mayswood Road.
Mayswood Road91 m
Turn right onto Norgrave Road.
Norgrave Road161 m
Turn right onto Mayswood Road.
Mayswood Road69 m
Turn right onto Farmstead Road.
Farmstead Road265 m
Turn right onto Tanhouse Farm Road.
Tanhouse Farm Road384 m
Turn left onto Elmdon Park Road.
Elmdon Park Road219 m
Turn left onto Wolverley Road.
Wolverley Road277 m
Turn left onto Fallowfield Road.
Fallowfield Road106 m
Turn right onto Tanhouse Farm Road.
Tanhouse Farm Road232 m
Turn left onto Old Lode Lane.
Old Lode Lane181 m
Turn right onto Windsor Drive.
Windsor Drive100 m
Turn right onto Charingworth Road.
Charingworth Road408 m
Turn right onto Ebrington Avenue.
Ebrington Avenue115 m
Turn left onto Old Lode Lane.
Old Lode Lane449 m
Turn right onto Hobs Moat Road/B425.
Hobs Moat Road115 m
Turn left onto A45/Coventry Road. Continue on A45.
A451.4 km
Take the exit on the right.
73 m
Turn right onto A45/Coventry Road.
A45196 m
Turn left onto Brays Road.
Brays Road84 m
Turn left onto Herondale Road.
Herondale Road447 m
Move left onto Sunnymead Road.
Sunnymead Road104 m
Turn right onto Manor House Lane.
Manor House Lane253 m
Turn left onto Elmcroft Road.
Elmcroft Road346 m
Turn left onto Moat Lane.
Moat Lane429 m
Turn left onto Yew Tree Lane.
Yew Tree Lane497 m
Turn right.
29 m
Turn left onto A45/Coventry Road.
A451.3 km
Take the exit on the right.
Coventry Road140 m
Turn right onto Lyndon Road.
Lyndon Road233 m
Turn left onto Melton Avenue.
Melton Avenue467 m
Turn right onto Evenlode Road.
Evenlode Road296 m
Turn right onto Daylesford Road.
Daylesford Road387 m
Turn left onto Lyndon Road.
Lyndon Road762 m
Turn right onto Chapel Fields Road.
Chapel Fields Road238 m
Turn right onto Richmond Road.
Richmond Road556 m
Turn left onto Barn Lane.
Barn Lane877 m
Turn right onto Woodcock Lane North.
Woodcock Lane North673 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Birmingham (South Yardley) · Route 4 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.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
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 17.1 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.
EBN Academy
Start near EBN Academy.
Dovehouse Nursery
Continue to Dovehouse Nursery.
Olton Clock Tower Gardens and Park
Continue to Olton Clock Tower Gardens and Park.
Solihull Fire Station
Continue to Solihull Fire Station.
Classic Kitchens
Continue to Classic Kitchens.
Olton Project
Continue to Olton Project.
St Margaret's Parish Church
Continue to St Margaret's Parish Church.
Lyndon
Continue to Lyndon.
Yardley Baptist Church
Continue to Yardley Baptist Church.
St Michael and All Angels
Continue to St Michael and All Angels.
Whitworths
Continue to Whitworths.
Lyndon Methodist Church
Continue to Lyndon Methodist Church.
On Parade
Continue to On Parade.
Nationwide Autocentre
Continue to Nationwide Autocentre.
Harvester
Continue to Harvester.
Buttercups & Dandelions Day Nursery
Continue to Buttercups & Dandelions Day Nursery.
Manarat Foundation
Continue to Manarat Foundation.
Mucky Pups Day Nursery
Continue to Mucky Pups Day Nursery.
St Margaret's Pre-school at Chapelfields
Continue to St Margaret's Pre-school at Chapelfields.
Acrewood Nursery & Pre-school
Finish back near Acrewood Nursery & Pre-school, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 25 turns · 3 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 13 turns · 4 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 17 turns · 2 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 16 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 59.0 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Birmingham (South Yardley) test centre, not an official DVSA route.