Near Cheetham Hill test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 1 roundabout, 14 turns and 11 signalled junctions across 22 navigation steps.
This is an independent 47.2 km practice loop near Cheetham Hill 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.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, 20 mph zones, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads, independent driving 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, shops, stations and parks, 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 Cheetham Hill 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 116-step drive on real, named roads (about 47.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southeast on Alderglen Road.
Alderglen Road123 m
Turn right onto Thorngate Road.
Thorngate Road86 m
Turn right onto A6010/Elizabeth Street.
A6010244 m
Turn left onto Waterloo Road/B6180.
Waterloo Road254 m
Turn right onto Barrow Hill Road.
Barrow Hill Road76 m
Turn left onto Fairy Lane.
Fairy Lane247 m
Turn left onto Rhine Drive.
Rhine Drive181 m
Turn right to stay on Rhine Drive.
Rhine Drive58 m
Turn left onto Fairy Lane.
Fairy Lane110 m
Turn right to stay on Fairy Lane.
Fairy Lane104 m
Turn left onto A56/Bury New Road.
A56477 m
Turn right onto Harris Street.
Harris Street135 m
Turn right onto Overbridge Road.
Overbridge Road116 m
Turn right onto Edward Street.
Edward Street198 m
Turn left onto Broughton Lane.
Broughton Lane478 m
Turn right onto Great Clowes Street/A5066.
Great Clowes Street615 m
Turn left onto A576/Great Cheetham Street West.
A576383 m
Turn left onto Grecian Street.
Grecian Street367 m
Turn left onto Camp Street/B6186.
Camp Street518 m
Turn right onto Great Clowes Street/A5066.
A50661.2 km
Turn right onto St Stephen Street.
St Stephen Street616 m
Turn left onto A6/Chapel Street.
A630 m
Turn left onto A34/Trinity Way.
A341.3 km
Turn right onto A665/Cheetham Hill Road. Continue on Cheetham Hill Road.
Cheetham Hill Road223 m
Turn left onto A665/Corporation Street. Continue on A665.
A665752 m
Turn right onto A62/Oldham Road.
A6242 m
Keep left to take A665.
A665755 m
Turn right onto Store Street.
Store Street428 m
Turn left onto Boad Street.
Boad Street188 m
Turn left onto Baird Street.
Baird Street118 m
Turn left onto Congou Street.
Congou Street46 m
Turn right onto Chapeltown Street.
Chapeltown Street287 m
Turn left onto A665/Great Ancoats Street. Continue on A665.
A6651.1 km
Keep left to stay on A665.
A665543 m
Turn left to take the ramp.
Cheetham Hill Road36 m
Move left onto A34/Trinity Way.
A34272 m
Turn right onto A56/Great Ducie Street.
A565.2 km
Turn right onto Saint Mary's Road.
Saint Mary's Road275 m
Turn left onto Rectory Lane.
Rectory Lane111 m
Turn right onto Deyne Avenue.
Deyne Avenue71 m
Turn right onto The Crescent.
The Crescent122 m
Turn right.
109 m
Turn left.
41 m
Turn left onto Rectory Lane.
Rectory Lane68 m
Turn right onto Saint Mary's Road.
Saint Mary's Road275 m
Turn left onto A56/Bury New Road.
A563.7 km
Turn right onto Upper Camp Street/B6186.
Upper Camp Street246 m
Turn left onto Great Clowes Street/A5066. Continue on A5066.
A50661.1 km
Turn right onto Silk Street/A5066. Continue on A5066.
A5066896 m
Turn left onto A6/Crescent. Continue on A6.
A6201 m
Make a right U-turn at Islington Way to stay on A6.
A6208 m
Turn right onto Adelphi Street/A5066.
Adelphi Street493 m
Turn left onto Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street194 m
Turn left to stay on Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street36 m
Turn right to stay on Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street1 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street1 m
Turn left to stay on Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street36 m
Turn right to stay on Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street194 m
Turn left onto Silk Street/A5066.
Silk Street413 m
Turn left onto Blackfriars Road/A5066. Continue on A5066.
A5066131 m
Move left onto Lower Broughton Road.
Lower Broughton Road1.3 km
Turn left onto A576/Cromwell Road.
A576490 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Littleton Road.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto Littleton Road.
Littleton Road669 m
Turn left onto Ayrshire Road.
Ayrshire Road94 m
Turn right onto Ukraine Road.
Ukraine Road99 m
Turn right onto Northallerton Road.
Northallerton Road93 m
Turn right onto Littleton Road.
Littleton Road772 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A576/Cromwell Road.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto A576/Cromwell Road. Continue on A576.
A5761.1 km
Turn right onto Great Clowes Street/A5066. Continue on A5066.
A50661.3 km
Turn right onto Silk Street/A5066.
Silk Street237 m
Turn right onto Brocade Close.
Brocade Close74 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Brocade Close.
71 m
Exit the roundabout onto Brocade Close.
Brocade Close74 m
Turn left onto Silk Street/A5066.
Silk Street237 m
Turn right onto Blackfriars Road/A6041.
Blackfriars Road446 m
Turn left onto A34/Trinity Way.
A34878 m
Turn right onto A665/Cheetham Hill Road. Continue on Cheetham Hill Road.
Cheetham Hill Road223 m
Turn left onto A665/Corporation Street. Continue on A665.
A665741 m
Turn left onto A62/Oldham Road.
A62422 m
Turn right onto Poland Street.
Poland Street82 m
Turn right onto Silk Street.
Silk Street96 m
Turn right onto Radium Street.
Radium Street71 m
Turn left onto A62/Oldham Road.
A62370 m
Keep right to stay on A62/Oldham Road.
A6239 m
Stay straight to take the ramp.
A6219 m
Turn right onto A665/Swan Street.
A665210 m
Keep left to stay on A665.
A665543 m
Turn left to take the ramp.
Cheetham Hill Road36 m
Move left onto A34/Trinity Way.
A34263 m
Turn left onto Great Ducie Street/A56. Continue on A56.
A56418 m
Turn left onto Victoria Bridge Street.
Victoria Bridge Street125 m
Turn right onto Deansgate/A56.
Deansgate142 m
Turn right onto Blackfriars Street/A6.
Blackfriars Street620 m
Turn left onto A34/Trinity Way.
A34211 m
Make a right U-turn at Cook Street to stay on A34/Trinity Way.
A341.1 km
Turn right onto A665/Cheetham Hill Road. Continue on Cheetham Hill Road.
Cheetham Hill Road223 m
Turn left onto A665/Corporation Street. Continue on A665.
A665752 m
Turn right onto A62/Oldham Road.
A6242 m
Keep left to take A665.
A665641 m
Turn right onto Ducie Street.
Ducie Street253 m
Turn left to stay on Ducie Street.
Ducie Street71 m
Turn left onto Jutland Street.
Jutland Street126 m
Turn left onto Store Street.
Store Street330 m
Turn left onto A665/Great Ancoats Street. Continue on A665.
A665947 m
Keep left to stay on A665.
A6651.5 km
Turn left onto Elizabeth Street.
Elizabeth Street296 m
Turn left onto A6010/Queens Road. Continue on A6010.
A6010402 m
Turn left onto Waterloo Road/B6180.
Waterloo Road277 m
Turn left onto Allison Street.
Allison Street149 m
Turn left onto Cheetwood Road.
Cheetwood Road270 m
Turn left onto A6010/Elizabeth Street.
A6010156 m
Turn right onto Waterloo Road/B6180.
Waterloo Road39 m
Turn right onto Alderglen Road.
Alderglen Road199 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Cheetham Hill · Route 19 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.
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.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
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 25.4 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.
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.
Holy Order of Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church
Start near Holy Order of Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church.
St Clement with St Matthias
Continue to St Clement with St Matthias.
Buff Shoes
Continue to Buff Shoes.
Faith Life Centre
Continue to Faith Life Centre.
Manchester Chinese Christian Church
Continue to Manchester Chinese Christian Church.
Manchester Piccadilly
Continue to Manchester Piccadilly.
One Stop CCTV
Continue to One Stop CCTV.
Sha'arei Mordechai
Continue to Sha'arei Mordechai.
Vine Street Shul
Continue to Vine Street Shul.
Shrubberies
Continue to Shrubberies.
Hope Square
Continue to Hope Square.
Gordon Bennett International
Continue to Gordon Bennett International.
Friars Early Years
Continue to Friars Early Years.
St Aidan
Continue to St Aidan.
Gentz Barbers
Continue to Gentz Barbers.
Peste - Destroyed
Continue to Peste - Destroyed.
Sacred Trinity Church
Continue to Sacred Trinity Church.
Eternal Life Sanctuary
Continue to Eternal Life Sanctuary.
Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha
Continue to Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha.
Cheetham Park
Finish back near Cheetham Park, completing the loop.
2 roundabouts · 20 turns · 9 sets of lights
2 roundabouts · 18 turns · 12 sets of lights
1 roundabout · 18 turns · 11 sets of lights
1 roundabout · 25 turns · 7 sets of lights
This route is 47.2 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Cheetham Hill test centre, not an official DVSA route.