Near Chesterfield test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 9 roundabouts, 16 turns and 1 signalled junction across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 47.6 km practice route near Chesterfield test centre, taking roughly 40 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 Bowshaw. 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, national-speed roads, 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 churches, stations, shops 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 Chesterfield 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 117-step drive on real, named roads (about 47.5 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive east.
74 m
Turn right onto Sheffield Road/B6057.
Sheffield Road247 m
Turn left onto Wharf Lane.
Wharf Lane150 m
Turn left onto Hardwick Street.
Hardwick Street119 m
Turn right onto Sheffield Road/B6057.
Sheffield Road864 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Lockoford Lane.
50 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lockoford Lane.
Lockoford Lane354 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Lockoford Lane.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lockoford Lane.
Lockoford Lane274 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Lockoford Lane.
Lockoford Lane275 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto A61.
186 m
Exit the roundabout onto A61.
A611.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A61.
86 m
Exit the roundabout onto A61.
A617.9 km
Enter Bowshaw and take the 1st exit onto A61/Chesterfield Road South.
Bowshaw56 m
Exit the roundabout onto A61/Chesterfield Road South.
A611.1 km
Enter Meadowhead Roundabout and take the 4th exit towards Chesterfield.
Meadowhead Roundabout188 m
Exit the roundabout towards Chesterfield.
A611.1 km
Enter Bowshaw and take the 3rd exit onto A61/Unstone-Dronfield By-Pass.
Bowshaw161 m
Exit the roundabout onto A61/Unstone-Dronfield By-Pass.
A615.7 km
Take the exit.
A61518 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Sheffield Road/B6057.
76 m
Exit the roundabout onto Sheffield Road/B6057.
B6057128 m
Move left onto Sheepbridge Lane.
Sheepbridge Lane787 m
Make a sharp left onto Dunston Road/B6050.
Dunston Road701 m
Turn left onto Dunston Court.
Dunston Court32 m
Turn right to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court31 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court31 m
Turn left to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court32 m
Turn left onto Dunston Road/B6050.
Dunston Road160 m
Turn right onto Racecourse Road/B6150.
Racecourse Road431 m
Turn right onto St. John's Road/B6150.
St. John's Road200 m
Turn left onto Stand Road.
Stand Road244 m
Turn left onto Racecourse Road.
Racecourse Road571 m
Turn left onto Coniston Road.
Coniston Road485 m
Turn left to stay on Coniston Road.
Coniston Road131 m
Turn right to stay on Coniston Road.
Coniston Road563 m
Turn left onto Racecourse Road/B6150.
Racecourse Road101 m
Turn left onto Dunston Road/B6050.
Dunston Road160 m
Turn right onto Dunston Court.
Dunston Court32 m
Turn right to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court31 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court31 m
Turn left to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court32 m
Turn right onto Dunston Road/B6050.
Dunston Road818 m
Turn left onto Dunston Lane.
Dunston Lane642 m
Turn right onto Cobnar Drive.
Cobnar Drive304 m
Turn right onto Cordwell Avenue.
Cordwell Avenue168 m
Turn left onto Loundes Wood Avenue.
Loundes Wood Avenue174 m
Turn left onto Kirkstone Road.
Kirkstone Road191 m
Turn right onto Keswick Drive.
Keswick Drive108 m
Turn right to stay on Keswick Drive.
Keswick Drive455 m
Turn right onto Newby Road.
Newby Road152 m
Turn right to stay on Newby Road.
Newby Road49 m
Turn left onto Kirkstone Road.
Kirkstone Road54 m
Turn left onto Newby Road.
Newby Road206 m
Turn left onto Keswick Drive.
Keswick Drive455 m
Turn right onto Broughton Road.
Broughton Road188 m
Turn left onto Windermere Road.
Windermere Road305 m
Turn right onto Littlemoor/B6150.
Littlemoor437 m
Turn left onto Newbold Road/B6051.
Newbold Road403 m
Turn left onto Newbold Drive.
Newbold Drive207 m
Turn left onto Highfield Avenue.
Highfield Avenue143 m
Turn right onto Highfield Lane.
Highfield Lane675 m
Turn left onto Peveril Road.
Peveril Road1.2 km
Turn left onto Dunston Road/B6050.
Dunston Road160 m
Turn right onto Dunston Court.
Dunston Court32 m
Turn right to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court31 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court31 m
Turn left to stay on Dunston Court.
Dunston Court32 m
Turn right onto Dunston Road/B6050.
Dunston Road700 m
Make a sharp right onto Sheepbridge Lane.
Sheepbridge Lane346 m
Turn left.
18 m
Turn left.
104 m
Turn left.
16 m
Turn right onto Sheepbridge Lane.
Sheepbridge Lane249 m
Move right onto Dunston Road/B6050.
Dunston Road117 m
Turn left onto Dunston Lane.
Dunston Lane1.2 km
Turn right onto Littlemoor/B6150.
Littlemoor490 m
Turn left onto Newbold Road/B6051.
Newbold Road845 m
Turn right onto Hawksley Avenue.
Hawksley Avenue228 m
Turn right onto Newbold Back Lane.
Newbold Back Lane36 m
Turn left onto Prospect Terrace.
Prospect Terrace127 m
Turn right to stay on Prospect Terrace.
Prospect Terrace83 m
Turn right onto Clubmill Terrace.
Clubmill Terrace104 m
Turn right onto Brockwell Lane.
Brockwell Lane191 m
Turn left onto Franklyn Road.
Franklyn Road108 m
Turn right onto Brooklyn Drive.
Brooklyn Drive46 m
Turn left onto Brookbank Avenue.
Brookbank Avenue175 m
Turn left onto Ashgate Valley Road.
Ashgate Valley Road193 m
Turn right onto Holmebank West.
Holmebank West122 m
Turn left onto Ashgate Road.
Ashgate Road559 m
Turn right onto Foljambe Road.
Foljambe Road301 m
Enter West Bars and take the 2nd exit onto A619/Markham Road.
West Bars81 m
Exit the roundabout onto A619/Markham Road.
A619859 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Hollis Lane/A632.
68 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hollis Lane/A632.
Hollis Lane60 m
Take the A61 exit towards Sheffield.
A612.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Lockoford Lane.
130 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lockoford Lane.
Lockoford Lane274 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Lockoford Lane.
Lockoford Lane275 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Lockoford Lane.
111 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lockoford Lane.
Lockoford Lane346 m
Enter Sheffield Road and take the 2nd exit onto Peveril Road.
Sheffield Road34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Peveril Road.
Peveril Road678 m
Turn right onto Ormsby Road.
Ormsby Road57 m
Turn left onto Park Lane.
Park Lane122 m
Turn left onto Peveril Road.
Peveril Road432 m
Turn right onto Highfield Lane.
Highfield Lane79 m
Turn left onto Chantrey Avenue.
Chantrey Avenue182 m
Turn right onto Malson Way.
Malson Way403 m
Turn right onto Tapton View Road.
Tapton View Road306 m
Turn left onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road275 m
Turn right onto Rhodes Avenue.
Rhodes Avenue287 m
Turn left onto Tapton View Road.
Tapton View Road157 m
Turn right onto Newbold Road/B6051.
Newbold Road618 m
Turn right onto Newbold Drive.
Newbold Drive99 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Chesterfield · Route 1 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 20.6 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, 60, 70 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.
Christadelphian Hall
Start near Christadelphian Hall.
Stagecoach Bus Depot
Continue to Stagecoach Bus Depot.
Tesco Mobile
Continue to Tesco Mobile.
Bowshaw
Continue to Bowshaw, taking the junction with good observation.
Batemoor Road/Chesterfield Road South
Continue to Batemoor Road/Chesterfield Road South.
Chesterfield Road South/Sports Ground
Continue to Chesterfield Road South/Sports Ground.
Howdens Joinery
Continue to Howdens Joinery.
Cricketers
Continue to Cricketers.
Thomas Irving Equestrian Supplies
Continue to Thomas Irving Equestrian Supplies.
Rising Sun
Continue to Rising Sun.
Plymouth Brethren Christian Church
Continue to Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
Newbold Community Association
Continue to Newbold Community Association.
Highfield
Continue to Highfield.
Friends' Meeting House
Continue to Friends' Meeting House.
Ragged School Evangelical Church
Continue to Ragged School Evangelical Church.
Salvation Army - Chesterfield
Continue to Salvation Army - Chesterfield.
Chesterfield College
Continue to Chesterfield College.
East Block 2
Continue to East Block 2.
Londis
Continue to Londis.
St Andrews Church
Finish back near St Andrews Church, completing the loop.
9 roundabouts · 16 turns
10 roundabouts · 11 turns · 1 set of lights
8 roundabouts · 14 turns · 1 set of lights
11 roundabouts · 8 turns
This route is 47.6 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Chesterfield test centre, not an official DVSA route.