Near Darlington test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 10 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 18 navigation steps.
This is an independent 43.4 km practice route near Darlington test centre, taking roughly 25 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 Yarm Road. 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, 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, pubs, named junctions and shops, 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 Darlington 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 105-step drive on real, named roads (about 43.3 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northwest.
216 m
Move right.
19 m
Turn left.
36 m
Turn left onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road312 m
Keep straight to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road337 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Yarm Road/B6280.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road77 m
Keep straight to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road895 m
Turn right onto The Mead.
The Mead291 m
Turn left onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road965 m
Keep right to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road108 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto McMullen Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto McMullen Road.
McMullen Road1.7 km
Turn right onto Haughton Road.
Haughton Road1.0 km
Move left onto Stockton Road.
Stockton Road30 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit towards Haughton Le Skerne.
103 m
Exit the roundabout towards Haughton Le Skerne.
Stockton Road36 m
Move left onto Haughton Road.
Haughton Road1.0 km
Turn left onto McMullen Road.
McMullen Road1.7 km
Enter Yarm Road and take the 4th exit onto Salters Lane.
Yarm Road51 m
Exit the roundabout onto Salters Lane.
Salters Lane683 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Salters Lane.
Salters Lane685 m
Enter Yarm Road and take the 2nd exit onto McMullen Road.
Yarm Road43 m
Exit the roundabout onto McMullen Road.
McMullen Road1.7 km
Turn right onto Haughton Road.
Haughton Road226 m
Turn left onto Salters Lane South.
Salters Lane South319 m
Turn left onto Latimer Road.
Latimer Road213 m
Turn left onto Hutton Avenue.
Hutton Avenue72 m
Turn left onto Salters Avenue.
Salters Avenue216 m
Turn right onto Salters Lane South.
Salters Lane South235 m
Turn right onto Haughton Green.
Haughton Green226 m
Turn left onto McMullen Road.
McMullen Road1.7 km
Enter Yarm Road and take the 4th exit onto Salters Lane.
Yarm Road51 m
Exit the roundabout onto Salters Lane.
Salters Lane683 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Salters Lane.
Salters Lane685 m
Enter Yarm Road and take the 2nd exit onto McMullen Road.
Yarm Road43 m
Exit the roundabout onto McMullen Road.
McMullen Road1.7 km
Turn right onto Haughton Road.
Haughton Road226 m
Turn left onto Salters Lane South.
Salters Lane South281 m
Turn right onto Welbeck Avenue.
Welbeck Avenue951 m
Turn left onto Whinfield Road/A1150.
Whinfield Road579 m
Turn right onto Whinbush Way.
Whinbush Way24 m
Keep left to stay on Whinbush Way.
Whinbush Way933 m
Move right onto Barmpton Lane.
Barmpton Lane848 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit towards Haughton Le Skerne.
49 m
Exit the roundabout towards Haughton Le Skerne.
Stockton Road36 m
Move left onto Haughton Road.
Haughton Road58 m
Turn right onto Stockton Road.
Stockton Road67 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Stockton Road.
Stockton Road67 m
Turn left onto Haughton Road.
Haughton Road58 m
Move left onto Stockton Road.
Stockton Road30 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Stockton Road/A1150.
67 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stockton Road/A1150.
Stockton Road360 m
Keep right to stay on Stockton Road/A1150.
Stockton Road759 m
Enter Little Burdon Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A66.
Little Burdon Roundabout38 m
Exit the roundabout onto A66.
A66894 m
Turn left onto Darlington Road.
Darlington Road857 m
Turn right onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road565 m
Keep left to stay on Middleton Road.
Middleton Road130 m
Keep right to stay on Middleton Road.
Middleton Road132 m
Keep right to stay on Middleton Road.
Middleton Road1.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A67.
57 m
Exit the roundabout onto A67.
A67352 m
Keep right to take Yarm Road/A67.
Yarm Road143 m
Keep right to stay on Yarm Road/A67.
Yarm Road904 m
Keep left to stay on A67.
A67513 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Yarm Road/B6280.
50 m
Exit the roundabout onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road166 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto B6280.
60 m
Exit the roundabout onto B6280.
B6280307 m
Keep right to take Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road378 m
Keep straight to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road337 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Yarm Road/B6280.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road77 m
Keep straight to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road1.8 km
Keep straight to take Parkgate/B6280.
Parkgate112 m
Turn right onto Borough Road.
Borough Road153 m
Turn right onto Middleton Street.
Middleton Street64 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Middleton Street.
Middleton Street64 m
Turn left onto Borough Road.
Borough Road153 m
Turn left onto Parkgate/B6280.
Parkgate112 m
Keep straight to stay on B6280.
B6280216 m
Keep left towards Yarm/Teesside.
Yarm Road1.6 km
Keep right to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road108 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit towards Yarm/Teesside.
42 m
Exit the roundabout towards Yarm/Teesside.
Yarm Road1.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Yarm Road/B6280.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road178 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit towards Yarm.
45 m
Exit the roundabout towards Yarm.
Yarm Road1.6 km
Keep left to stay on A67.
A67288 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto A67.
82 m
Exit the roundabout onto A67.
A67323 m
Keep right to take Yarm Road/A67.
Yarm Road1.1 km
Keep left to stay on A67.
A67513 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Yarm Road/B6280.
50 m
Exit the roundabout onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road166 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto B6280.
60 m
Exit the roundabout onto B6280.
B6280307 m
Keep right to take Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road378 m
Keep straight to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road337 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Yarm Road/B6280.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road77 m
Keep straight to stay on Yarm Road/B6280.
Yarm Road666 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Darlington · Route 4 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
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 1.2 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 (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.
St Herbert's Church
Start near St Herbert's Church.
Wheatsheaf
Continue to Wheatsheaf.
Yarm Road
Continue to Yarm Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Grey Horse
Continue to Grey Horse.
Haughton Methodist Church
Continue to Haughton Methodist Church.
Highland Laddie
Continue to Highland Laddie.
Fast Fit Express
Continue to Fast Fit Express.
KFC
Continue to KFC.
St Andrew's Church
Continue to St Andrew's Church.
Shuttle & Loom
Continue to Shuttle & Loom.
St Anne's (RC) Church
Continue to St Anne's (RC) Church.
St Andrew's
Continue to St Andrew's.
Tuns At Sadberge
Continue to Tuns At Sadberge.
Old Farmhouse Inn
Continue to Old Farmhouse Inn.
House of Prayer Apostolic Ministries
Continue to House of Prayer Apostolic Ministries.
Saint John The Evangelist
Continue to Saint John The Evangelist.
Sikh Gurudwara Sahib
Continue to Sikh Gurudwara Sahib.
Black Swan
Continue to Black Swan.
Tees Valley YMCA
Continue to Tees Valley YMCA.
McDonald's
Finish back near McDonald's, completing the loop.
12 roundabouts · 10 turns · 3 sets of lights
12 roundabouts · 12 turns · 3 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 10 turns · 2 sets of lights
11 roundabouts · 10 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 43.4 km and takes about 25 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Darlington test centre, not an official DVSA route.