Near Crewe test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts, 14 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 21 navigation steps.
This is an independent 22.1 km practice loop near Crewe 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.
Along the way you'll meet Cheerbrook 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 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, shops, pubs 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 Crewe 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 44-step drive on real, named roads (about 22.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive east on Nile Street.
Nile Street10 m
Turn left onto Nelson Street.
Nelson Street175 m
Turn right onto Stalbridge Road.
Stalbridge Road152 m
Turn left onto Edleston Road/A5078.
Edleston Road102 m
Turn left onto Maxwell Street.
Maxwell Street166 m
Turn right onto Derrington Avenue.
Derrington Avenue37 m
Turn left onto Hammond Street.
Hammond Street124 m
Turn left onto Walthall Street.
Walthall Street566 m
Turn right onto Nantwich Road/A534.
Nantwich Road150 m
Turn left onto Bedford Street.
Bedford Street740 m
Turn left onto Gresty Road/B5071. Continue on B5071.
B5071277 m
Turn left onto Nantwich Road/A534.
Nantwich Road300 m
Turn left onto Ernest Street.
Ernest Street412 m
Turn right onto Manor Way.
Manor Way531 m
Turn right to stay on Manor Way.
Manor Way353 m
Turn right onto Nantwich Road/A534.
Nantwich Road683 m
Turn right onto Sherwin Street.
Sherwin Street160 m
Turn right onto Bedford Street.
Bedford Street165 m
Turn left onto Nantwich Road/A534. Continue on A534.
A5341.3 km
Turn left onto Berkeley Crescent.
Berkeley Crescent379 m
Turn right onto Crewe Road/A534. Continue on A534.
A5341.6 km
Turn left onto Walthall Street.
Walthall Street858 m
Turn left onto Wistaston Road.
Wistaston Road621 m
Turn left onto Stewart Street.
Stewart Street1.7 km
Move right onto Church Lane.
Church Lane1.2 km
Turn right onto Nantwich Road/A534.
Nantwich Road107 m
Move left onto Wistaston Road.
Wistaston Road1.2 km
Turn right onto Cheerbrook Road.
Cheerbrook Road659 m
Enter Cheerbrook Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A500/Shavington Bypass.
Cheerbrook Roundabout10 m
Exit the roundabout onto A500/Shavington Bypass.
A5003.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Jack Mills Way/B5071.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Jack Mills Way/B5071.
Jack Mills Way300 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Jack Mills Way/B5071.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto Jack Mills Way/B5071.
Jack Mills Way452 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Jack Mills Way/B5071.
46 m
Exit the roundabout onto Jack Mills Way/B5071.
B50712.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Oak Street/A5078.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto Oak Street/A5078.
Oak Street140 m
Turn left onto Edleston Road/A5078.
Edleston Road401 m
Turn right onto Stalbridge Road.
Stalbridge Road152 m
Turn left onto Nelson Street.
Nelson Street175 m
Turn left onto Nile Street.
Nile Street82 m
Turn right onto Brooklyn Street.
Brooklyn Street10 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Crewe · Route 5 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.
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
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Cheerbrook Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 3.6 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, 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.
Parish Church of Saint Andrew
Start near Parish Church of Saint Andrew.
Spa Nails
Continue to Spa Nails.
British Lion
Continue to British Lion.
Brunswick
Continue to Brunswick.
Nantwich Road Social Club
Continue to Nantwich Road Social Club.
My Uncle
Continue to My Uncle.
Aldi
Continue to Aldi.
Londis
Continue to Londis.
Kwik Fit
Continue to Kwik Fit.
All Saints Parish Church
Continue to All Saints Parish Church.
Hop Pole
Continue to Hop Pole.
Woodside
Continue to Woodside.
Saint Marys Wistaston
Continue to Saint Marys Wistaston.
Nags Head
Continue to Nags Head.
Saint John's
Continue to Saint John's.
Cheerbrook Roundabout
Continue to Cheerbrook Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Station Pilot
Continue to Station Pilot.
Cheshire Inn
Continue to Cheshire Inn.
Union Street Baptist Church
Continue to Union Street Baptist Church.
Imperial
Finish back near Imperial, completing the loop.
7 roundabouts · 11 turns · 3 sets of lights
1 roundabout · 17 turns · 1 set of lights
3 roundabouts · 15 turns · 3 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 15 turns · 5 sets of lights
This route is 22.1 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Crewe test centre, not an official DVSA route.