Near Bradford (Thornbury) test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 10 roundabouts and 24 turns across 41 navigation steps.
This is an independent 13.5 km practice loop near Bradford (Thornbury) test centre, taking roughly 19 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 Dudley Hill and Mid Point. 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 independent driving. 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, pubs, churches and named junctions, 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 Bradford (Thornbury) 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:
The full 41-step drive on real, named roads (about 13.4 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west.
21 m
Turn right.
17 m
Turn right.
37 m
Turn left.
80 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit.
9 m
Exit the roundabout.
52 m
Enter Leeds Road and take the 7th exit onto A647/Bradford Road.
Leeds Road447 m
Exit the roundabout onto A647/Bradford Road.
A647767 m
Turn left onto Thornbury Barracks.
Thornbury Barracks20 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Thornbury Barracks.
Thornbury Barracks79 m
Move left onto Galloway Lane/B6154.
Galloway Lane529 m
Turn left onto Owlcotes Road.
Owlcotes Road804 m
Turn left onto Highfield Street.
Highfield Street4 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Highfield Street.
Highfield Street4 m
Turn right onto Owlcotes Road.
Owlcotes Road804 m
Turn right onto Galloway Lane/B6154.
Galloway Lane494 m
Turn left onto A647/Bradford Road.
A647812 m
Enter Gipsy Street and take the 6th exit onto A647/Leeds Road.
Gipsy Street372 m
Exit the roundabout onto A647/Leeds Road.
A6471.2 km
Take the exit.
61 m
Move left onto A6177/Laisterdyke. Continue on A6177.
A61771.9 km
Keep left to take A6177/Sticker Lane.
A6177189 m
Enter Dudley Hill and take the 4th exit onto A6177/Sticker Lane.
Dudley Hill207 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6177/Sticker Lane.
A6177407 m
Turn right onto Fenby Avenue.
Fenby Avenue221 m
Turn left onto Cutler Heights Lane.
Cutler Heights Lane696 m
Turn right onto Tyersal Lane.
Tyersal Lane372 m
Turn left onto Thornton Grove.
Thornton Grove61 m
Turn left onto Stroothers Place.
Stroothers Place96 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Stroothers Place.
Stroothers Place96 m
Turn right onto Thornton Grove.
Thornton Grove61 m
Turn right onto Tyersal Lane.
Tyersal Lane373 m
Turn right onto Dick Lane.
Dick Lane1.8 km
Move left onto Gipsy Street.
Gipsy Street43 m
Turn right onto Mid Point.
Mid Point140 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit.
9 m
Exit the roundabout.
113 m
Turn left.
37 m
Turn left.
17 m
Turn left.
21 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Bradford (Thornbury) · Residential + A-road practice loop 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.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Local junctions
Take each junction on its merits, good observation, clear signalling and the right speed on approach. Rehearse the sequence so nothing surprises you on the day.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Shandar
Start near Shandar.
Bargain Booze
Continue to Bargain Booze.
Ivy Florist
Continue to Ivy Florist.
Chemma's Owlcotes Store
Continue to Chemma's Owlcotes Store.
Take away fish and chip shop
Continue to Take away fish and chip shop.
Desi Sweet Centre
Continue to Desi Sweet Centre.
Ranas 2
Continue to Ranas 2.
Morrisons Daily
Continue to Morrisons Daily.
Kwik Fit
Continue to Kwik Fit.
Taste Of China
Continue to Taste Of China.
KFC
Continue to KFC.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Swain Green Tavern
Continue to Swain Green Tavern.
Greggs
Continue to Greggs.
Holmewood Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses
Continue to Holmewood Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses.
Dudley Hill
Continue to Dudley Hill, taking the junction with good observation.
Ebenezer Methodist Church Centre
Continue to Ebenezer Methodist Church Centre.
United Footwear
Continue to United Footwear.
R.W. & S. Hall - Newsagents & Convenience Store
Continue to R.W. & S. Hall - Newsagents & Convenience Store.
Mid Point
Finish back near Mid Point, completing the loop.
20 roundabouts · 23 turns
28 roundabouts · 21 turns
12 roundabouts · 17 turns
14 roundabouts · 29 turns
This route is 13.5 km and takes about 19 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Bradford (Thornbury) test centre, not an official DVSA route.