Near Bolton test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 1 roundabout, 16 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 57.7 km practice route near Bolton 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 Redgate Way. 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 stations, schools, 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 102-step drive on real, named roads (about 57.7 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.
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.
A50821.2 km
Turn left onto Albert Road/A575. Continue on A575.
A575904 m
Keep left to stay on A575.
A5751.1 km
Take the exit on the right.
A6661.8 km
Take the exit.
A666317 m
Turn right onto Bradford Street/A579.
Bradford Street37 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.
Gladstone Road423 m
Turn right onto Glynne Street/B6199. Continue on B6199.
B61994.4 km
Turn left onto St Helens Road/A579. Continue on A579.
A5793.5 km
Move left onto Church Street/A577.
Church Street128 m
Turn right onto Market Street/A577. Continue on Market Street.
Market Street110 m
Turn left onto Crab Tree Lane.
Crab Tree Lane188 m
Turn right onto Hamilton Street.
Hamilton Street585 m
Turn left onto Bee Fold Lane.
Bee Fold Lane239 m
Move left onto Lowland Meadows.
Lowland Meadows103 m
Turn right onto Bee Fold Lane.
Bee Fold Lane666 m
Turn right onto Long Causeway.
Long Causeway739 m
Turn right to stay on Long Causeway.
Long Causeway29 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Long Causeway.
Long Causeway768 m
Turn left onto Bee Fold Lane.
Bee Fold Lane666 m
Turn left onto Lowland Meadows.
Lowland Meadows103 m
Move right onto Bee Fold Lane.
Bee Fold Lane239 m
Turn right onto Hamilton Street.
Hamilton Street869 m
Turn left onto Tyldesley Road/A577.
Tyldesley Road82 m
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street330 m
Turn right onto A579/Bolton Road. Continue on A579.
A5793.4 km
Turn right onto Plodder Lane/B6199. Continue on B6199.
B61994.4 km
Turn right onto Albert Road/A575.
Albert Road141 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.
Albert Road141 m
Turn left 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 Lane833 m
Turn right onto Milford Road.
Milford Road37 m
Turn right onto Back Lever Edge Lane.
Back Lever Edge Lane59 m
Turn right onto Calvert Road.
Calvert Road34 m
Turn right onto Lever Edge Lane.
Lever Edge Lane416 m
Turn left onto Halsall Drive.
Halsall Drive182 m
Turn left onto Netherfield Road.
Netherfield Road98 m
Turn left onto Linacre Avenue.
Linacre Avenue169 m
Turn left onto Garswood Road.
Garswood Road120 m
Turn left onto Ainsdale Road.
Ainsdale Road165 m
Turn right onto Halsall Drive.
Halsall Drive432 m
Turn right onto Settle Street.
Settle Street210 m
Turn right onto Langdale Street.
Langdale Street31 m
Turn right onto Back Settle Street.
Back Settle Street101 m
Turn right onto Monton Street.
Monton Street29 m
Turn right onto Settle Street.
Settle Street293 m
Turn right onto Rupert Street.
Rupert Street46 m
Turn left 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 3 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 10.1 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.
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.
St James's Church of England High School
Continue to St James's Church of England High School.
Duke's Gate
Continue to Duke's Gate.
Colliers Arms
Continue to Colliers Arms.
Tyldesley Hair & Beauty Salon
Continue to Tyldesley Hair & Beauty Salon.
Wharton & Cleggs Lane Church
Continue to Wharton & Cleggs Lane Church.
Moses Gate
Continue to Moses Gate.
Burger King
Continue to Burger King.
Shakespeare
Continue to Shakespeare.
Our Lady of Lourdes & St. Gregory's Parish
Continue to Our Lady of Lourdes & St. Gregory's Parish.
Red Lion
Continue to Red Lion.
Atherton
Continue to Atherton.
St John The Baptist Atherton
Continue to St John The Baptist Atherton.
Central Methodist Church
Continue to Central Methodist Church.
St Andrew's Church Over Hulton
Continue to St Andrew's Church Over Hulton.
Sandwich Bar & Cafe
Continue to Sandwich Bar & Cafe.
Kings Arms Hotel
Continue to Kings Arms Hotel.
Redgate Way
Continue to Redgate Way, taking the junction with good observation.
Lord's School
Continue to Lord's School.
St. William of York Roman Catholic Church
Finish back near St. William of York Roman Catholic Church, 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 57.7 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Bolton test centre, not an official DVSA route.