Near Bolton test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 1 roundabout, 19 turns and 7 signalled junctions across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 76.0 km practice route near Bolton 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.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads 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 stations, churches, pubs 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 Bolton 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 106-step drive on real, named roads (about 76.0 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive east.
129 m
Turn right.
22 m
Turn left onto Weston Street.
Weston Street638 m
Turn right onto Manchester Road/B6536.
Manchester Road232 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Manchester Road/B6536.
Manchester Road227 m
Turn left onto Weston Street.
Weston Street275 m
Turn right onto Nelson Street.
Nelson Street637 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Thynne Street.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto Thynne Street.
Thynne Street188 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Thynne Street.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Thynne Street.
Thynne Street189 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Thynne Street.
28 m
Exit the roundabout onto Thynne Street.
Thynne Street735 m
Move right onto Bradford Road.
Bradford Road2.1 km
Turn left onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road73 m
Turn right onto Lucas Road.
Lucas Road387 m
Move left onto St James Street.
St James Street656 m
Turn right onto Buckley Lane/A5082. Continue on A5082.
A5082553 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Cleggs Lane/A5082.
19 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cleggs Lane/A5082. Continue on A5082.
A50823.2 km
Turn right onto Sale Lane/A577. Continue on A577.
A5772.2 km
Turn right onto Castle Street/A577. Continue on A577.
A5771.5 km
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street330 m
Turn right onto A579/Bolton Road. Continue on A579.
A5796.3 km
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street298 m
Turn left onto Bridgeman Street.
Bridgeman Street526 m
Move left onto Fletcher Street.
Fletcher Street456 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Thynne Street.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Thynne Street.
Thynne Street144 m
Turn right onto Trinity Street/A579. Continue on A579.
A579862 m
Turn left onto Castle Street/B6209.
Castle Street171 m
Turn left onto Court Street.
Court Street91 m
Turn left onto Dorset Street.
Dorset Street109 m
Turn left onto Halstead Street.
Halstead Street138 m
Turn right onto Castle Street/B6209. Continue on Castle Street.
Castle Street294 m
Move right onto Radcliffe Road/B6209.
Radcliffe Road866 m
Turn right to stay on Radcliffe Road/B6209.
Radcliffe Road852 m
Turn left onto Long Lane.
Long Lane3 m
Turn right onto Radcliffe Road/B6209.
Radcliffe Road207 m
Turn left.
15 m
Make a sharp right.
14 m
Turn right onto Radcliffe Road/B6209.
Radcliffe Road217 m
Turn left onto Long Lane.
Long Lane15 m
Turn right onto Radcliffe Road/B6209.
Radcliffe Road850 m
Turn left to stay on Radcliffe Road/B6209.
Radcliffe Road285 m
Turn left onto Wheatfield Street.
Wheatfield Street168 m
Turn right onto Bromwich Street.
Bromwich Street790 m
Turn right onto Bradford Street/A579.
Bradford Street484 m
Turn left.
27 m
Turn left onto Bury New Road/A673. Continue on Bury New Road.
Bury New Road751 m
Make a left U-turn onto A666/St. Peter's Way.
A6664.7 km
Take the Kearsley Interchange exit towards Kearsley.
A666399 m
Enter Kearsley Interchange and take the 3rd exit onto Bolton Road/A6053.
Kearsley Interchange196 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bolton Road/A6053.
Bolton Road231 m
Move left onto Longcauseway/A5082. Continue on A5082.
A50821.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Cleggs Lane/A5082.
19 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cleggs Lane/A5082. Continue on A5082.
A50823.2 km
Turn right onto Sale Lane/A577. Continue on A577.
A5772.2 km
Turn right onto Castle Street/A577. Continue on A577.
A5771.5 km
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street330 m
Turn right onto A579/Bolton Road. Continue on A579.
A5797.1 km
Turn left onto Moor Lane/A676.
Moor Lane138 m
Turn right to stay on Moor Lane/A676.
Moor Lane446 m
Turn right onto Deansgate/B6204. Continue on B6204.
B6204564 m
Turn right onto St Georges Road/B6205.
St Georges Road402 m
Turn left onto Folds Road/A575.
Folds Road181 m
Turn right onto Bury New Road/A673.
Bury New Road154 m
Move right onto A666/St. Peter's Way.
A6662.3 km
Take the A575 exit.
A5751.4 km
Turn left onto Carlton Street.
Carlton Street107 m
Turn left onto Bridgeman Street.
Bridgeman Street150 m
Turn left onto Bentley Street.
Bentley Street107 m
Turn right onto Bolton Road/A6053.
Bolton Road840 m
Take the A666 exit on the right.
A6663.6 km
Move right onto A666/Blackburn Road.
A66610 m
Move left onto Halliwell Road/A6099.
Halliwell Road749 m
Turn left onto Gladstone Street.
Gladstone Street128 m
Turn left.
21 m
Make a right U-turn.
21 m
Turn right onto Gladstone Street.
Gladstone Street128 m
Turn right onto Halliwell Road/A6099.
Halliwell Road3.9 km
Take the Manchester Road exit.
Manchester Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Gladstone Road/A575.
Gladstone Road423 m
Turn right onto Glynne Street/B6199.
Glynne Street301 m
Turn left onto Sutherland Street.
Sutherland Street158 m
Turn left onto Harrowby Street.
Harrowby Street119 m
Turn left onto Almond Street.
Almond Street154 m
Turn left onto Glynne Street/B6199. Continue on B6199.
B61991.6 km
Turn right onto Redgate Way.
Redgate Way460 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Redgate Way.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Redgate Way.
Redgate Way673 m
Turn left onto Bradford Road.
Bradford Road914 m
Turn left onto Parkfield Road.
Parkfield Road167 m
Turn left onto Newport Road.
Newport Road381 m
Turn left onto Green Lane.
Green Lane447 m
Turn right onto Bishops Road.
Bishops Road82 m
Turn right onto Lakeside Avenue.
Lakeside Avenue131 m
Turn right onto Lowther Street.
Lowther Street73 m
Turn left onto Green Lane.
Green Lane669 m
Turn right onto Rupert Street.
Rupert Street292 m
Turn right onto Alder Street.
Alder Street121 m
Turn left onto Back Rishton Lane.
Back Rishton Lane49 m
Turn right onto Settle Street.
Settle Street37 m
Turn left onto Rishton Lane.
Rishton Lane174 m
Turn right onto Weston Street.
Weston Street661 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Bolton · Route 11 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 19.7 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.
Changing speed limits
Limits change across this route (20, 30, 40, 50 mph). Watch for repeater signs and adjust early, examiners mark you down for carrying the wrong speed into a new limit.
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.
Bolton
Start near Bolton.
Wharton & Cleggs Lane Church
Continue to Wharton & Cleggs Lane Church.
Colliers Arms
Continue to Colliers Arms.
Tyldesley Chapel
Continue to Tyldesley Chapel.
Atherton
Continue to Atherton.
St Helens Road Methodist Church
Continue to St Helens Road Methodist Church.
Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple
Continue to Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple.
AA
Continue to AA.
Volunteer
Continue to Volunteer.
Bridge Church
Continue to Bridge Church.
New Jerusalem Church
Continue to New Jerusalem Church.
Go Local Convenience Store
Continue to Go Local Convenience Store.
Zakariyya Jaam'e Masjid
Continue to Zakariyya Jaam'e Masjid.
Redeemed Christian Church of God
Continue to Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Moses Gate
Continue to Moses Gate.
Masjid-e-Noorul Islam
Continue to Masjid-e-Noorul Islam.
Olive School, Bolton
Continue to Olive School, Bolton.
Shakespeare
Continue to Shakespeare.
St George with St James
Continue to St George with St James.
Lord's School
Finish back near Lord's School, completing the loop.
1 roundabout · 19 turns · 8 sets of lights
3 roundabouts · 22 turns · 5 sets of lights
3 roundabouts · 18 turns · 6 sets of lights
2 roundabouts · 20 turns · 5 sets of lights
This route is 76.0 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Bolton test centre, not an official DVSA route.