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Practice route
ChallengingLoop

Cardigan · Route 4

Near Cardigan test centre

29.1 km
Distance
35 min
Duration
Challenging
Difficulty
19
Manoeuvres
Difficulty: Easy

Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 3 roundabouts and 19 turns across 28 navigation steps.

How this route is examined

This is an independent 29.1 km practice loop near Cardigan 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, national-speed roads, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads and 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 churches, stations, shops 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 Cardigan 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.

Manoeuvre breakdown

What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.

9
Left turns
10
Right turns
3
Roundabouts
0
Traffic lights
28
Total steps

Skills & features

4
Roundabouts
12.2 km
Dual carriageway
20, 30, 40, 60 mph
Speed limits
20
Landmarks

This route helps you practise:

  • Multiple roundabouts
  • Dual-carriageway joins
  • National-speed roads
  • 20 mph zones
  • Changing speed limits
  • Residential manoeuvres
  • Busy A-roads
  • Independent driving

Road mix

  • Trunk roads 12.2 km
  • Minor roads 7.8 km
  • B-roads 3.6 km
  • Unclassified 2.6 km
  • Residential 1.8 km
  • service_other 0.0 km

Turn-by-turn directions

The full 68-step drive on real, named roads (about 29.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.

  1. Depart:

    Drive northeast.

    9 m

  2. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Napier Street.

    Napier Street128 m

  3. Turn right:

    Turn right to stay on Napier Street.

    Napier Street90 m

  4. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Feidrfair.

    Feidrfair115 m

  5. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street.

    Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street203 m

  6. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Pendre.

    Pendre282 m

  7. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Napier Street.

    Napier Street93 m

  8. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Napier Gardens.

    Napier Gardens720 m

  9. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Feidr Henffordd.

    Feidr Henffordd88 m

  10. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Aberystwyth Road/B4548.

    Aberystwyth Road398 m

  11. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Gwbert Road/B4548.

    Gwbert Road1.2 km

  12. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Verwig Road.

    Verwig Road3.3 km

  13. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    1.0 km

  14. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    918 m

  15. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    718 m

  16. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Verwig Road.

    Verwig Road699 m

  17. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Gwbert Road/B4548.

    Gwbert Road893 m

  18. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Park Avenue.

    Park Avenue115 m

  19. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Greenland Meadows.

    Greenland Meadows260 m

  20. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Aberystwyth Road/B4548.

    Aberystwyth Road603 m

  21. Turn right:

    Turn right onto A487.

    A487942 m

  22. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A487.

    41 m

  23. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A487.

    A487785 m

  24. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A487.

    92 m

  25. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A487.

    A487784 m

  26. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A487.

    41 m

  27. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A487.

    A4873.7 km

  28. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Heol-y-Felin.

    Heol-y-Felin342 m

  29. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Feidr Tywod.

    Feidr Tywod518 m

  30. Turn right:

    Turn right onto A487.

    A4873.2 km

  31. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A487.

    41 m

  32. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A487.

    A487785 m

  33. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A487.

    92 m

  34. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A487.

    A487784 m

  35. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Pont-y-Cleifion.

    15 m

  36. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Pont-y-Cleifion.

    Pont-y-Cleifion286 m

  37. Turn left:

    Move left onto Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street.

    Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street47 m

  38. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Stryd Morgan / Morgan Street.

    Stryd Morgan / Morgan Street47 m

  39. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Pwllhai.

    Pwllhai85 m

  40. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Stryd y Santes Fair / St Mary Street.

    Stryd y Santes Fair / St Mary Street42 m

  41. Turn left:

    Move left onto Finch's Square.

    Finch's Square52 m

  42. Turn left:

    Move left onto Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street.

    Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street203 m

  43. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Pendre.

    Pendre220 m

  44. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Feidrfair.

    Feidrfair268 m

  45. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street.

    Stryd y Priordy / Priory Street47 m

  46. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Stryd Morgan / Morgan Street.

    Stryd Morgan / Morgan Street47 m

  47. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Pwllhai.

    Pwllhai85 m

  48. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Stryd y Santes Fair / St Mary Street.

    Stryd y Santes Fair / St Mary Street42 m

  49. Turn left:

    Move left onto Finch's Square.

    Finch's Square36 m

  50. Turn right:

    Turn right to stay on Finch's Square.

    Finch's Square270 m

  51. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A487.

    72 m

  52. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A487.

    A487785 m

  53. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto B4546.

    71 m

  54. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto B4546.

    B4546609 m

  55. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Bridge Street.

    Bridge Street42 m

  56. Turn right:

    Move right onto Heol y Bont / Bridge Street.

    Heol y Bont / Bridge Street270 m

  57. Turn left:

    Turn left onto College Row.

    College Row74 m

  58. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Greenfield Square.

    Greenfield Square201 m

  59. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Rhodfa'r Felin.

    Rhodfa'r Felin17 m

  60. Turn right:

    Move right onto Bath House Road.

    Bath House Road55 m

  61. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Pendre.

    Pendre64 m

  62. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Feidrfair.

    Feidrfair143 m

  63. Turn right:

    Turn right onto William Street.

    William Street145 m

  64. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Pendre.

    Pendre437 m

  65. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Maes-yr-Haf.

    Maes-yr-Haf98 m

  66. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Napier Gardens.

    Napier Gardens207 m

  67. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Napier Street.

    Napier Street27 m

  68. Arrive:

    You have arrived at your destination.

Directions for the Cardigan · Route 4 loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.

Local roads & landmarks

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.

Stations

Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.

  • Rigby Ground
  • Finch's Square, Cardigan

Churches

Useful navigation anchors on the loop.

  • Capel Mair
  • Mount Zion Baptist Church
  • Mair o Aberteifi / Our Lady of the Taper
  • Capel Siloam
  • Santes Fair / St Mary's

Pubs

Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.

  • Lamb Inn
  • Cellar Bar
  • Grosvenor
  • Wine Bar Cardigan

Shops & parades

Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.

  • Brondesbury Park Garden Centre
  • Cawdor Cardigan
  • LBS Builders Merchants
  • RDM

Watch out for

  • 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 12.2 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, 60 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.

Drive it: landmark by landmark

Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.

  1. Capel Mair

    Start near Capel Mair.

  2. Mount Zion Baptist Church

    Continue to Mount Zion Baptist Church.

  3. Mair o Aberteifi / Our Lady of the Taper

    Continue to Mair o Aberteifi / Our Lady of the Taper.

  4. Rigby Ground

    Continue to Rigby Ground.

  5. Capel Siloam

    Continue to Capel Siloam.

  6. Brondesbury Park Garden Centre

    Continue to Brondesbury Park Garden Centre.

  7. Cawdor Cardigan

    Continue to Cawdor Cardigan.

  8. Opening of Cardigan Bypass

    Continue to Opening of Cardigan Bypass.

  9. LBS Builders Merchants

    Continue to LBS Builders Merchants.

  10. RDM

    Continue to RDM.

  11. Siop y Pentref

    Continue to Siop y Pentref.

  12. Santes Fair / St Mary's

    Continue to Santes Fair / St Mary's.

  13. Silver 43

    Continue to Silver 43.

  14. Finch's Square, Cardigan

    Continue to Finch's Square, Cardigan.

  15. Lamb Inn

    Continue to Lamb Inn.

  16. Cellar Bar

    Continue to Cellar Bar.

  17. Grosvenor

    Continue to Grosvenor.

  18. Bethania Baptist Chapel

    Continue to Bethania Baptist Chapel.

  19. Wine Bar Cardigan

    Continue to Wine Bar Cardigan.

  20. Oojudoo

    Finish back near Oojudoo, completing the loop.

More routes at Cardigan test centre

Route FAQs

This route is 29.1 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Cardigan test centre, not an official DVSA route.