Near Cobridge (Stoke-On-Trent) test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 18 roundabouts and 10 turns across 36 navigation steps.
This is an independent 16.8 km practice loop near Cobridge (Stoke-On-Trent) test centre, taking roughly 22 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 Porthill Roundabout and Wolstanton Roundabout. 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 roundabout approach & exit, 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 pubs, shops, schools and churches, 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 Cobridge (Stoke-On-Trent) 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 36-step drive on real, named roads (about 16.8 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southeast.
50 m
Turn left onto Elder Road.
Elder Road55 m
Turn right onto Ashburton Street.
Ashburton Street141 m
Move right onto North Road/B5050.
North Road350 m
Move left onto A53/Leek New Road.
A533.1 km
Turn right to stay on Leek New Road.
Leek New Road10 m
Turn right to stay on Leek New Road.
Leek New Road102 m
Turn right onto Trentfields Road.
Trentfields Road9 m
Turn left onto A53/Leek New Road.
A533.0 km
Move right onto North Road/B5050. Continue on B5050.
B5050873 m
Turn left onto Pitt Street East/B5050.
Pitt Street East650 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Newcastle Street/B5051.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Newcastle Street/B5051.
Newcastle Street866 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Newcastle Street/A5271.
8 m
Exit the roundabout onto Newcastle Street/A5271. Continue on A5271.
A5271599 m
Enter Porthill Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Porthill Bank/B5370.
Porthill Roundabout95 m
Exit the roundabout onto Porthill Bank/B5370.
Porthill Bank601 m
Enter Porthill Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Watlands View/B5370.
Porthill Roundabout43 m
Exit the roundabout onto Watlands View/B5370.
Watlands View506 m
Turn right onto Dimsdale Parade West/B5369.
Dimsdale Parade West866 m
Enter Wolstanton Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Dimsdale Parade West/B5369.
Wolstanton Roundabout114 m
Exit the roundabout onto Dimsdale Parade West/B5369. Continue on B5369.
B5369875 m
Turn left onto Watlands View/B5370.
Watlands View510 m
Enter Porthill Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Porthill Bank/B5370.
Porthill Roundabout46 m
Exit the roundabout onto Porthill Bank/B5370.
Porthill Bank596 m
Enter Porthill Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Porthill Road/A5271.
Porthill Roundabout107 m
Exit the roundabout onto Porthill Road/A5271. Continue on A5271.
A5271603 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Newcastle Street/B5051.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Newcastle Street/B5051.
Newcastle Street865 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Woodbank Street/B5051.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Woodbank Street/B5051.
B5051592 m
Turn right onto Nile Street/B5050.
Nile Street442 m
Turn right onto Elder Road.
Elder Road84 m
Turn right onto Davison Street.
Davison Street36 m
Turn left.
37 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Cobridge (Stoke-On-Trent) · Dual-carriageway 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.
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.
Roundabout
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Porthill Roundabout, Wolstanton Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Bennetts
Start near Bennetts.
Beverley's News
Continue to Beverley's News.
Horn and Trumpet
Continue to Horn and Trumpet.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Active Leisure
Continue to Active Leisure.
Dudson Factory Outlet
Continue to Dudson Factory Outlet.
North Road Academy
Continue to North Road Academy.
Khan's
Continue to Khan's.
St John's
Continue to St John's.
Home Bargains
Continue to Home Bargains.
Morrisons Daily
Continue to Morrisons Daily.
Wayne Walker Quality Meats Factory Shop
Continue to Wayne Walker Quality Meats Factory Shop.
Longport Methodist Church
Continue to Longport Methodist Church.
Porthill Roundabout
Continue to Porthill Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Biketech
Continue to Biketech.
Saint Andrew's Parish Church
Continue to Saint Andrew's Parish Church.
Wolstanton United Reform Church
Continue to Wolstanton United Reform Church.
Wolstanton Roundabout
Continue to Wolstanton Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Pack Horse
Continue to Pack Horse.
Welcome
Finish back near Welcome, completing the loop.
63 roundabouts · 14 turns
30 roundabouts · 21 turns
6 roundabouts · 20 turns
12 roundabouts · 12 turns
This route is 16.8 km and takes about 22 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Cobridge (Stoke-On-Trent) test centre, not an official DVSA route.