Near Borehamwood test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 14 roundabouts, 15 turns and 1 signalled junction across 31 navigation steps.
This is an independent 25.6 km practice route near Borehamwood 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.
Along the way you'll meet Elstree Way, Barnet Lane and Kenilworth Drive. 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, 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 shops, named junctions, churches and pubs, 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 Borehamwood 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 119-step drive on real, named roads (about 25.6 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive east on Stirling Court.
Stirling Court21 m
Turn left onto Stirling Way.
Stirling Way105 m
Turn right onto Ripon Way.
Ripon Way38 m
Turn left onto A1/Barnet Bypass.
A1841 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Newark Green.
200 m
Exit the roundabout onto Newark Green.
Newark Green175 m
Turn right onto Balmoral Drive.
Balmoral Drive197 m
Keep right to take Chester Road.
Chester Road76 m
Turn right onto Warwick Road.
Warwick Road230 m
Turn left onto A5135.
A513525 m
Keep left to stay on A5135.
A5135436 m
Enter Elstree Way and take the 1st exit onto Manor Way.
Elstree Way3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Manor Way.
Manor Way214 m
Turn left onto Chester Road.
Chester Road819 m
Turn right onto Kenilworth Drive.
Kenilworth Drive432 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Manor Way.
16 m
Exit the roundabout onto Manor Way.
Manor Way418 m
Turn right onto Arundel Drive.
Arundel Drive307 m
Turn left onto Graveley Avenue.
Graveley Avenue154 m
Turn left onto Cleveland Crescent.
Cleveland Crescent158 m
Turn right onto Cranes Way.
Cranes Way260 m
Turn right onto Furzehill Road.
Furzehill Road495 m
Turn left onto Tennison Avenue.
Tennison Avenue27 m
Turn left onto Milton Drive.
Milton Drive391 m
Turn left.
19 m
Turn right onto Furzehill Road.
Furzehill Road255 m
Keep right to stay on Furzehill Road.
Furzehill Road243 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Barnet Lane/A411.
28 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barnet Lane/A411.
Barnet Lane215 m
Keep right to stay on Barnet Lane/A411.
Barnet Lane219 m
Enter Stirling Corner and take the 3rd exit.
Stirling Corner116 m
Exit the roundabout onto Barnet Road/A411.
Barnet Road115 m
Keep left to stay on Barnet Road/A411.
Barnet Road106 m
Keep right to stay on Barnet Road/A411.
Barnet Road1.1 km
Turn left onto Rowley Lane.
Rowley Lane1.4 km
Turn left onto Rowley Lane/A5135.
Rowley Lane14 m
Keep left to stay on Rowley Lane/A5135.
Rowley Lane231 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Rowley Lane/A5135.
97 m
Exit the roundabout onto Rowley Lane/A5135. Continue on A5135.
A5135874 m
Keep right to take Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way52 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way24 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way509 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto B5378.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto B5378.
B5378127 m
Enter Tesco Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Shenley Road/B5378.
Tesco Roundabout30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Shenley Road/B5378. Continue on B5378.
B5378866 m
Keep right to take Allum Lane/B5378.
Allum Lane597 m
Turn left onto Knowl Way.
Knowl Way150 m
Turn left onto Lodge Avenue.
Lodge Avenue252 m
Turn right onto Grange Road.
Grange Road320 m
Turn left onto Bishops Avenue.
Bishops Avenue148 m
Turn left onto The Rise.
The Rise275 m
Turn left onto Deacons Hill Road.
Deacons Hill Road395 m
Turn right onto Deacons Close.
Deacons Close104 m
Turn left.
12 m
Make a right U-turn.
12 m
Turn right onto Deacons Close.
Deacons Close104 m
Turn right onto Deacons Hill Road.
Deacons Hill Road131 m
Turn left onto Allum Lane/B5378.
Allum Lane527 m
Turn left onto Knowl Way.
Knowl Way150 m
Turn left onto Lodge Avenue.
Lodge Avenue323 m
Keep left to stay on Lodge Avenue.
Lodge Avenue130 m
Turn right onto Allum Lane/B5378. Continue on B5378.
B5378422 m
Move right onto Shenley Road/B5378.
Shenley Road231 m
Move right to stay on Shenley Road/B5378.
Shenley Road438 m
Enter Tesco Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Shenley Road/B5378.
Tesco Roundabout71 m
Exit the roundabout onto Shenley Road/B5378.
Shenley Road114 m
Turn left onto Whitehouse Avenue.
Whitehouse Avenue345 m
Turn right to stay on Whitehouse Avenue.
Whitehouse Avenue94 m
Turn right onto Cardinal Avenue.
Cardinal Avenue369 m
Turn right onto Shenley Road/B5378.
Shenley Road207 m
Enter Tesco Roundabout and take the 1st exit.
Tesco Roundabout22 m
Exit the roundabout onto B5378.
B5378128 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
98 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way509 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
22 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way21 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135. Continue on A5135.
A5135467 m
Turn right onto Warwick Road.
Warwick Road178 m
Keep left to stay on Warwick Road.
Warwick Road51 m
Turn right onto Chester Road.
Chester Road56 m
Keep left to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road291 m
Turn left onto Manor Way.
Manor Way323 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Kenilworth Drive.
61 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kenilworth Drive.
Kenilworth Drive163 m
Turn right onto Bullhead Road.
Bullhead Road31 m
Turn right to stay on Bullhead Road.
Bullhead Road5 m
Turn left to stay on Bullhead Road.
Bullhead Road510 m
Turn right onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way118 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
22 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way21 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Manor Way.
22 m
Exit the roundabout onto Manor Way.
Manor Way540 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Kenilworth Drive.
61 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kenilworth Drive.
Kenilworth Drive88 m
Turn right onto Kenilworth Close.
Kenilworth Close87 m
Turn left to stay on Kenilworth Close.
Kenilworth Close8 m
Turn right to stay on Kenilworth Close.
Kenilworth Close30 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Kenilworth Close.
Kenilworth Close39 m
Turn right to stay on Kenilworth Close.
Kenilworth Close87 m
Turn left onto Kenilworth Drive.
Kenilworth Drive88 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Kenilworth Drive.
44 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kenilworth Drive.
Kenilworth Drive433 m
Turn right onto Balmoral Drive.
Balmoral Drive222 m
Turn left onto Howard Drive.
Howard Drive86 m
Turn left onto Tempsford Avenue.
Tempsford Avenue420 m
Turn left onto Newark Green.
Newark Green98 m
Turn right onto Balmoral Drive.
Balmoral Drive197 m
Keep right to take Chester Road.
Chester Road111 m
Keep right to stay on Chester Road.
Chester Road312 m
Turn right onto Manor Way.
Manor Way217 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
28 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way468 m
Turn right onto Warwick Road.
Warwick Road178 m
Keep left to stay on Warwick Road.
Warwick Road10 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Borehamwood · Route 20 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.
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 1.0 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 (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.
Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd
Start near Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd.
Elstree Way
Continue to Elstree Way, taking the junction with good observation.
International Christian Fellowship
Continue to International Christian Fellowship.
St Paul's Lutheran Church
Continue to St Paul's Lutheran Church.
Barnet Lane
Continue to Barnet Lane, taking the junction with good observation.
Little Waitrose
Continue to Little Waitrose.
Gate
Continue to Gate.
M&S Simply Food
Continue to M&S Simply Food.
Kwik Fit
Continue to Kwik Fit.
All Saints
Continue to All Saints.
Pick & Shovel
Continue to Pick & Shovel.
Alfred Arms
Continue to Alfred Arms.
Elstree & Borehamwood
Continue to Elstree & Borehamwood.
Asda
Continue to Asda.
Good Companion
Continue to Good Companion.
Mistr.
Continue to Mistr..
Kings Kebabs
Continue to Kings Kebabs.
Venue
Continue to Venue.
Kenilworth Drive
Continue to Kenilworth Drive, taking the junction with good observation.
Holy Cross
Finish back near Holy Cross, completing the loop.
24 roundabouts · 12 turns · 1 set of lights
6 roundabouts · 13 turns
13 roundabouts · 12 turns · 2 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 14 turns · 2 sets of lights
This route is 25.6 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Borehamwood test centre, not an official DVSA route.