Near Bolton test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 2 roundabouts, 16 turns and 10 signalled junctions across 28 navigation steps.
This is an independent 88.1 km practice route near Bolton test centre, taking roughly 40 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 Thynne Street. 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, 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 churches, stations, shops and schools, 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 136-step drive on real, named roads (about 88.0 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 Street811 m
Turn right onto Grecian Crescent.
Grecian Crescent613 m
Turn right onto Fletcher Street.
Fletcher Street7 m
Turn left to stay on Fletcher Street.
Fletcher Street344 m
Turn left to stay on Fletcher Street.
Fletcher Street426 m
Turn right onto Deane Road/A676.
A6761.0 km
Turn right onto St Georges Road.
St Georges Road1.2 km
Turn right onto Great Moor Street/B6204.
Great Moor Street217 m
Turn right to stay on Great Moor Street.
Great Moor Street521 m
Turn left onto Deansgate/B6204.
Deansgate719 m
Turn right onto Mayor Street/B6202. Continue on B6202.
B6202552 m
Turn right onto Dobson Road.
Dobson Road502 m
Turn right onto Chorley New Road/A673.
Chorley New Road862 m
Move right onto St Georges Road/A673.
St Georges Road268 m
Turn left onto Topp Way/A673.
Topp Way713 m
Turn right onto A666/St. Peter's Way.
A6662.8 km
Take the Manchester Road exit.
Manchester Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Gladstone Road/A575. Continue on A575.
A575564 m
Turn right.
6 m
Move right onto Back Harrowby Street.
Back Harrowby Street43 m
Turn right onto Back Albert Road.
Back Albert Road23 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Back Albert Road.
Back Albert Road23 m
Turn left onto Back Harrowby Street.
Back Harrowby Street43 m
Move left.
6 m
Turn left onto Albert Road/A575. Continue on A575.
A575180 m
Keep left to stay on A575.
A5751.1 km
Take the exit on the right.
A6661.8 km
Take the exit.
A666288 m
Keep left to take A579.
A579242 m
Turn right onto Ash Street.
Ash Street283 m
Turn left onto Breightmet Street.
Breightmet Street82 m
Turn left onto Bradshawgate/A575.
Bradshawgate205 m
Turn left onto Bridgeman Place/A579. Continue on A579.
A579342 m
Turn right to take the A666 ramp.
A6661.7 km
Take the Manchester Road exit.
Manchester Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Gladstone Road/A575. Continue on A575.
A575564 m
Turn right.
6 m
Move right onto Back Harrowby Street.
Back Harrowby Street43 m
Turn right onto Back Albert Road.
Back Albert Road23 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Back Albert Road.
Back Albert Road23 m
Turn left onto Back Harrowby Street.
Back Harrowby Street43 m
Move left.
6 m
Turn left onto Albert Road/A575. Continue on A575.
A575180 m
Keep left to stay on A575.
A5751.1 km
Take the exit on the right.
A6663.1 km
Turn left onto Topp Way/A673.
Topp Way719 m
Turn right onto St Georges Road/A673.
St Georges Road331 m
Move left onto Chorley New Road/A673.
Chorley New Road983 m
Turn right onto Mornington Road.
Mornington Road395 m
Turn left onto Crosby Road.
Crosby Road105 m
Turn right onto St Margaret's Road.
St Margaret's Road50 m
Turn left onto Lonsdale Road.
Lonsdale Road244 m
Turn right onto Devonshire Road.
Devonshire Road553 m
Turn right onto Chorley Old Road/B6226.
Chorley Old Road1.9 km
Turn left onto Topp Way/A673.
Topp Way713 m
Turn right onto A666/St. Peter's Way.
A6662.8 km
Take the Manchester Road exit.
Manchester Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Gladstone Road/A575. Continue on A575.
A575598 m
Turn right onto Harrowby Street.
Harrowby Street643 m
Turn left onto George Street.
George Street392 m
Turn left onto Moorside Avenue.
Moorside Avenue327 m
Turn left onto Parkfield Avenue.
Parkfield Avenue263 m
Turn right onto Moorside Avenue.
Moorside Avenue160 m
Turn right onto George Street.
George Street392 m
Turn right onto Harrowby Street.
Harrowby Street636 m
Turn left onto Albert Road/A575. Continue on A575.
A575199 m
Keep left to stay on A575.
A5751.1 km
Take the exit on the right.
A6663.6 km
Move right onto A666/Blackburn Road.
A66610 m
Move left onto Halliwell Road/A6099.
Halliwell Road1.9 km
Move left onto A58/Moss Bank Way.
A58896 m
Turn left onto Captain's Clough Road.
Captain's Clough Road150 m
Turn left onto Church Road.
Church Road282 m
Turn right onto Guildford Road.
Guildford Road62 m
Turn right onto Hazelwood Road.
Hazelwood Road95 m
Turn right onto Orwell Road.
Orwell Road148 m
Turn left onto Captain's Clough Road.
Captain's Clough Road294 m
Turn left onto Chorley Old Road/B6226.
Chorley Old Road73 m
Turn left onto New Barn Street.
New Barn Street65 m
Turn left onto Empress Street.
Empress Street91 m
Turn right onto Captain's Clough Road.
Captain's Clough Road530 m
Turn right onto A58/Moss Bank Way.
A581.9 km
Make a right U-turn to stay on A58/Moss Bank Way.
A58157 m
Turn left onto Moss Bank Close.
Moss Bank Close80 m
Turn left to stay on Moss Bank Close.
Moss Bank Close229 m
Turn left onto A58/Moss Bank Way.
A58853 m
Turn left.
38 m
Move left onto Halliwell Road/A6099.
Halliwell Road892 m
Turn right onto Hobart Street.
Hobart Street115 m
Turn right onto Burke Street.
Burke Street1 m
Turn left onto Hobart Street.
Hobart Street28 m
Turn right onto St Joseph Street.
St Joseph Street24 m
Turn right.
36 m
Turn right onto Burke Street.
Burke Street20 m
Turn left onto Hobart Street.
Hobart Street115 m
Turn right onto Halliwell Road/A6099.
Halliwell Road4.1 km
Take the Manchester Road exit.
Manchester Road644 m
Make a sharp right to stay on Manchester Road/A575.
Manchester Road273 m
Take the A666 exit on the right.
A6661.8 km
Take the exit.
A666317 m
Turn right onto Bradford Street/A579.
Bradford Street623 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.
A5771.6 km
Turn right onto Whewell Street.
Whewell Street45 m
Turn left onto Darlington Street.
Darlington Street81 m
Turn left onto Common Lane/A577.
Common Lane44 m
Turn left onto Manchester Road/A577. Continue on A577.
A5771.7 km
Turn left onto Mort Lane/A5082. Continue on A5082.
A50823.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Cleggs Lane/A5082.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cleggs Lane/A5082. Continue on A5082.
A50821.9 km
Move right onto Higher Market Street/A6053. Continue on A6053.
A6053229 m
Enter Kearsley Interchange and take the 1st exit onto A666/St. Peter's Way.
Kearsley Interchange14 m
Exit the roundabout onto A666/St. Peter's Way.
A6663.1 km
Take the exit.
207 m
Turn left onto Raikes Lane/B6536.
Raikes Lane101 m
Keep right to stay on Raikes Lane/B6536.
Raikes Lane42 m
Turn right onto Manchester Road/B6536.
Manchester Road759 m
Turn left onto Orlando Street.
Orlando Street88 m
Turn left to stay on Orlando Street.
Orlando Street218 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Thynne Street.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Thynne Street.
Thynne Street638 m
Turn left onto Weston Street.
Weston Street125 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Bolton · Route 18 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.
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 30.0 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.
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.
Claremont Church
Start near Claremont Church.
United Reformed Church Of St Andrew and St George
Continue to United Reformed Church Of St Andrew and St George.
Unity Church
Continue to Unity Church.
Moses Gate
Continue to Moses Gate.
Sughra Mosque
Continue to Sughra Mosque.
Christ Embassy Church
Continue to Christ Embassy Church.
Bethel Church
Continue to Bethel Church.
Parish Church of St. Margaret
Continue to Parish Church of St. Margaret.
St. Luke's Church
Continue to St. Luke's Church.
Godfather
Continue to Godfather.
New Bury Chip Shop
Continue to New Bury Chip Shop.
Masjid-e-Noorul Islam
Continue to Masjid-e-Noorul Islam.
Church Road Primary School
Continue to Church Road Primary School.
Masjid Ahl Al-Sunnah
Continue to Masjid Ahl Al-Sunnah.
Bolton Spiritualist Church
Continue to Bolton Spiritualist Church.
New Jerusalem Church
Continue to New Jerusalem Church.
Duke's Gate
Continue to Duke's Gate.
Colliers Arms
Continue to Colliers Arms.
Wharton & Cleggs Lane Church
Continue to Wharton & Cleggs Lane Church.
Thynne Street
Finish back near Thynne Street, 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 88.1 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Bolton test centre, not an official DVSA route.