Near Chorley test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 23 turns across 36 navigation steps.
This is an independent 44.3 km practice loop near Chorley 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 Eaves Lane, Bamber Bridge Interchange and Clayton Brook Interchange. 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 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 pubs, churches, named junctions and stations, 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 Chorley 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 129-step drive on real, named roads (about 44.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive south.
12 m
Turn left onto Rossall Road.
Rossall Road10 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Rossall Road.
Rossall Road39 m
Turn left onto Eaves Lane/B6228.
Eaves Lane237 m
Turn right onto Mossfield Road.
Mossfield Road29 m
Turn right.
43 m
Turn right onto Greenfield Road.
Greenfield Road31 m
Turn left onto Eaves Lane/B6228.
Eaves Lane60 m
Turn right onto Froom Street.
Froom Street276 m
Turn left onto Montcliffe Road.
Montcliffe Road384 m
Turn left onto Bagganley Lane.
Bagganley Lane231 m
Turn left onto Eaves Lane/B6228. Continue on B6228.
B6228998 m
Turn left onto Worthy Street.
Worthy Street53 m
Turn right onto Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street90 m
Turn left onto Buchanan Street.
Buchanan Street198 m
Turn left onto Brooke Street.
Brooke Street287 m
Turn left to stay on Brooke Street.
Brooke Street12 m
Turn left onto Eaves Lane.
Eaves Lane1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Botany Brow/B6228.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto Botany Brow/B6228.
B62281.3 km
Turn right onto Guildford Avenue.
Guildford Avenue53 m
Move right onto Carleton Road.
Carleton Road627 m
Turn left onto Dorking Road.
Dorking Road253 m
Turn right onto Carleton Road.
Carleton Road121 m
Turn right onto Guildford Avenue.
Guildford Avenue85 m
Turn left.
2 m
Make a right U-turn.
2 m
Turn right onto Guildford Avenue.
Guildford Avenue85 m
Turn right to stay on Guildford Avenue.
Guildford Avenue53 m
Turn left onto Blackburn Road/B6228.
B62281.3 km
Enter Eaves Lane and take the 1st exit onto Eaves Lane/B6228.
Eaves Lane10 m
Exit the roundabout onto Eaves Lane/B6228. Continue on B6228.
B62281.3 km
Turn left onto Worthy Street.
Worthy Street53 m
Turn right onto Blackburn Street.
Blackburn Street90 m
Turn left onto Buchanan Street.
Buchanan Street198 m
Turn left onto Brooke Street.
Brooke Street287 m
Turn left to stay on Brooke Street.
Brooke Street12 m
Turn left onto Eaves Lane.
Eaves Lane1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Botany Brow/B6228.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto Botany Brow/B6228.
B62282.0 km
Turn left onto Millennium Way/A674.
Millennium Way20 m
Move right.
98 m
Make a sharp right onto Millennium Way/A674.
Millennium Way25 m
Turn right onto Blackburn Road/B6228.
B62282.1 km
Enter Eaves Lane and take the 2nd exit onto Harpers Lane/B6229.
Eaves Lane27 m
Exit the roundabout onto Harpers Lane/B6229.
Harpers Lane630 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Water Street/A6.
8 m
Exit the roundabout onto Water Street/A6.
Water Street159 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Bengal Street/A6.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bengal Street/A6.
Bengal Street326 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Clifford Street/A6.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clifford Street/A6.
Clifford Street134 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Clifford Street/A6.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clifford Street/A6.
Clifford Street134 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Clifford Street.
60 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clifford Street.
Clifford Street131 m
Turn left onto Chapel Street.
Chapel Street37 m
Turn right onto Victoria Street.
Victoria Street116 m
Turn left onto Anderton Street.
Anderton Street78 m
Turn left onto Railway Street.
Railway Street111 m
Move left onto Chapel Street.
Chapel Street83 m
Turn right onto Clifford Street.
Clifford Street131 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Clifford Street/A6.
10 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clifford Street/A6.
Clifford Street131 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Clifford Street/A6.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto Clifford Street/A6.
Clifford Street134 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Bengal Street/A6.
14 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bengal Street/A6.
Bengal Street324 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Water Street/A6.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto Water Street/A6.
Water Street159 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Harpers Lane/B6229.
39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Harpers Lane/B6229.
Harpers Lane627 m
Enter Eaves Lane and take the 1st exit onto Botany Brow/B6228.
Eaves Lane11 m
Exit the roundabout onto Botany Brow/B6228.
B62282.0 km
Turn right onto Blackburn Road/A674.
Blackburn Road631 m
Turn left to stay on Blackburn Road.
Blackburn Road72 m
Turn left to stay on Blackburn Road.
Blackburn Road140 m
Move right onto Town Lane.
Town Lane1.9 km
Turn left onto Chorley Old Road.
Chorley Old Road79 m
Move left onto Shaw Brow.
Shaw Brow251 m
Turn right onto Preston Road/A6.
Preston Road2.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Preston Road/A6.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto Preston Road/A6.
Preston Road1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A6/Preston Road.
9 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6/Preston Road.
A6281 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A6/Church Road.
16 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6/Church Road.
A6210 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Bamber Bridge Interchange.
7 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bamber Bridge Interchange.
Bamber Bridge Interchange264 m
Keep right to take Bamber Bridge Interchange.
Bamber Bridge Interchange106 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit.
611 m
Exit the roundabout onto M65.
M651.5 km
Take exit 2.
510 m
Enter Clayton Brook Interchange and take the 4th exit onto M61.
Clayton Brook Interchange437 m
Exit the roundabout onto M61.
M615.0 km
Take exit 8.
M61385 m
Enter Chorley North Link Junction and take the 3rd exit onto Millennium Way/A674.
Chorley North Link Junction269 m
Exit the roundabout onto Millennium Way/A674.
Millennium Way402 m
Enter Preston Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Preston Road/A6.
Preston Road Roundabout29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Preston Road/A6.
Preston Road183 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Preston Road/A6.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Preston Road/A6.
Preston Road369 m
Turn right onto Highfield Road North.
Highfield Road North74 m
Turn right to stay on Highfield Road North.
Highfield Road North86 m
Turn left onto Fairway.
Fairway75 m
Turn left onto Rookwood Avenue.
Rookwood Avenue504 m
Turn left onto Astley Road.
Astley Road328 m
Turn left onto Water Street.
Water Street74 m
Turn right onto Commercial Road/A581.
Commercial Road32 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Bengal Street/A6.
56 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bengal Street/A6.
Bengal Street326 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Hollinshead Street.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hollinshead Street.
Hollinshead Street210 m
Turn right onto Water Street.
Water Street53 m
Turn right to stay on Water Street.
Water Street459 m
Turn right onto Commercial Road/A581.
Commercial Road32 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Bengal Street/A6.
56 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bengal Street/A6.
Bengal Street326 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Stump Lane.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stump Lane.
Stump Lane415 m
Turn left onto Russell Square West.
Russell Square West64 m
Turn left onto Whinfield Avenue.
Whinfield Avenue110 m
Turn left onto Mayfield Road.
Mayfield Road69 m
Turn right onto Stump Lane.
Stump Lane95 m
Turn left onto Friday Street.
Friday Street627 m
Turn right onto Steeley Lane.
Steeley Lane113 m
Turn left onto Lyons Lane/B6228. Continue on B6228.
B6228938 m
Turn right onto Rossall Road.
Rossall Road39 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Chorley · Route 3 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 8.9 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, 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.
Bretherton Arms
Start near Bretherton Arms.
St James' Church
Continue to St James' Church.
Eaves Lane
Continue to Eaves Lane, taking the junction with good observation.
Lock and Quay
Continue to Lock and Quay.
St Joseph
Continue to St Joseph.
Chorley Interchange
Continue to Chorley Interchange.
Lee's Chinese Takeaway
Continue to Lee's Chinese Takeaway.
Nature Trail Nursery
Continue to Nature Trail Nursery.
St Chads
Continue to St Chads.
Future Champions
Continue to Future Champions.
Whittle-le-Woods Methodist Church
Continue to Whittle-le-Woods Methodist Church.
Halfway House
Continue to Halfway House.
Bamber Bridge Interchange
Continue to Bamber Bridge Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Clayton Brook Interchange
Continue to Clayton Brook Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Cuckoo's Nest
Continue to Cuckoo's Nest.
Hartwood Hall
Continue to Hartwood Hall.
Oriental
Continue to Oriental.
Chorley United Reformed Church
Continue to Chorley United Reformed Church.
Kingdom Hall
Continue to Kingdom Hall.
Jewels Haridressing
Finish back near Jewels Haridressing, completing the loop.
18 turns
23 turns
14 turns · 2 sets of lights
13 turns · 2 sets of lights
This route is 44.3 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Chorley test centre, not an official DVSA route.