Near Dorchester test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 7 roundabouts and 17 turns across 29 navigation steps.
This is an independent 34.7 km practice route near Dorchester 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 Stadium Roundabout, Fordington Fields Roundabout, Max Gate Roundabout, Bridport Road and Monkey's Jump 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 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 named junctions, pubs, shops 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 Dorchester 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 107-step drive on real, named roads (about 34.7 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southeast.
17 m
Turn right onto Peverell Avenue West.
Peverell Avenue West103 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Bridport Road/B3150.
63 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bridport Road/B3150.
Bridport Road106 m
Enter Monkey's Jump Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A35/Dorchester Bypass.
Monkey's Jump Roundabout3 m
Exit the roundabout onto A35/Dorchester Bypass.
A352.3 km
Enter Stadium Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A35/Dorchester Bypass.
Stadium Roundabout35 m
Exit the roundabout onto A35/Dorchester Bypass.
A352.0 km
Turn right onto A352.
A352259 m
Enter Max Gate Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Alington Avenue/B3144.
Max Gate Roundabout3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Alington Avenue/B3144.
Alington Avenue253 m
Move left.
21 m
Enter Fordington Fields Roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
Fordington Fields Roundabout25 m
Exit the roundabout.
32 m
Move left onto Alington Road/B3144. Continue on B3144.
B3144322 m
Move right onto Athelstan Road.
Athelstan Road115 m
Turn left onto Kings Road.
Kings Road109 m
Move right onto Prince of Wales Road/B3144.
Prince of Wales Road702 m
Turn left onto South Walks Road/B3144.
South Walks Road16 m
Turn right onto Trinity Street.
Trinity Street346 m
Turn left onto Prince's Street.
Prince's Street118 m
Turn right onto Alington Street.
Alington Street67 m
Turn right onto High West Street/B3150. Continue on B3150.
B3150954 m
Turn right onto Kings Road/B3143. Continue on Kings Road.
Kings Road599 m
Turn right onto Icen Way.
Icen Way285 m
Move left onto South Walks Road.
South Walks Road17 m
Turn right.
14 m
Turn left onto Icen Way.
Icen Way384 m
Turn left onto High East Street/B3150. Continue on B3150.
B3150515 m
Enter Top O'Town Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto The Grove/B3147.
Top O'Town Roundabout40 m
Exit the roundabout onto The Grove/B3147.
The Grove400 m
Turn left onto Miller's Close.
Miller's Close518 m
Turn left onto Poundbury Road.
Poundbury Road288 m
Turn right onto Bridport Road/B3150.
Bridport Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Bridport Road/B3150.
62 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bridport Road/B3150.
Bridport Road207 m
Move right onto Damers Road/B3144.
Damers Road317 m
Turn left onto Gloucester Road.
Gloucester Road150 m
Turn left onto Bridport Road/B3150.
Bridport Road511 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Middlemarsh Street.
8 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middlemarsh Street.
Middlemarsh Street48 m
Turn left.
65 m
Make a right U-turn.
65 m
Turn right onto Middlemarsh Street.
Middlemarsh Street48 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Bridport Road/B3150.
54 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bridport Road/B3150.
Bridport Road207 m
Move right onto Damers Road/B3144.
Damers Road517 m
Turn right onto Alice Road.
Alice Road154 m
Turn right onto Cambridge Road.
Cambridge Road296 m
Turn right onto Windsor Road.
Windsor Road180 m
Turn left onto Damers Road/B3144.
Damers Road219 m
Move left onto Bridport Road/B3150.
Bridport Road208 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Middlemarsh Street.
8 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middlemarsh Street.
Middlemarsh Street48 m
Turn left.
65 m
Make a right U-turn.
65 m
Turn right onto Middlemarsh Street.
Middlemarsh Street48 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Bridport Road/B3150.
54 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bridport Road/B3150.
Bridport Road144 m
Turn right.
17 m
Turn right.
60 m
Turn left onto Blagdon Road.
Blagdon Road93 m
Turn left onto Elizabeth Place.
Elizabeth Place137 m
Turn right to stay on Elizabeth Place.
Elizabeth Place71 m
Turn left onto Cambridge Road.
Cambridge Road245 m
Turn right onto Marie Road.
Marie Road164 m
Turn right onto Coburg Road.
Coburg Road262 m
Turn right onto Baynard's Road.
Baynard's Road181 m
Turn right onto Cambridge Road.
Cambridge Road199 m
Turn right onto Windsor Road.
Windsor Road168 m
Turn left onto Coburg Road.
Coburg Road431 m
Turn left onto Maud Road.
Maud Road99 m
Turn right onto Edward Road.
Edward Road453 m
Turn right onto Weymouth Avenue/B3147.
Weymouth Avenue666 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Weymouth Road/B3147.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto Weymouth Road/B3147. Continue on B3147.
B3147238 m
Enter Stadium Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A35/Dorchester Bypass.
Stadium Roundabout73 m
Exit the roundabout onto A35/Dorchester Bypass.
A352.3 km
Enter Monkey's Jump Roundabout and take the 1st exit.
Monkey's Jump Roundabout8 m
Exit the roundabout.
2.3 km
Turn left onto Weymouth Road/B3159.
Weymouth Road1.0 km
Move left.
174 m
Turn left.
212 m
Move right.
1.7 km
Turn left.
340 m
Turn left onto A354/Monkton Hill.
A3541.1 km
Enter Stadium Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Weymouth Road/B3147.
Stadium Roundabout37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Weymouth Road/B3147. Continue on B3147.
B3147244 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Weymouth Avenue/B3147.
8 m
Exit the roundabout onto Weymouth Avenue/B3147.
Weymouth Avenue724 m
Move left onto Maumbury Road/B3147.
Maumbury Road346 m
Turn right onto Great Western Road/B3144.
Great Western Road233 m
Turn left onto Weymouth Avenue/B3144. Continue on B3144.
B314439 m
Turn right onto Prince of Wales Road/B3144.
Prince of Wales Road476 m
Turn right onto Culliford Road.
Culliford Road78 m
Turn right onto Monmouth Road.
Monmouth Road328 m
Turn left onto Rothesay Road.
Rothesay Road120 m
Turn left onto South Court Avenue.
South Court Avenue335 m
Turn left onto Culliford Road.
Culliford Road528 m
Turn left onto South Walks Road.
South Walks Road428 m
Turn right onto Trinity Street.
Trinity Street346 m
Turn left onto Prince's Street.
Prince's Street118 m
Turn right onto Alington Street.
Alington Street67 m
Turn right onto High West Street/B3150. Continue on B3150.
B3150954 m
Turn right onto Kings Road/B3143. Continue on Kings Road.
Kings Road673 m
Turn left onto Athelstan Road.
Athelstan Road61 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Dorchester · Route 13 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.
Multiple roundabouts
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Stadium Roundabout, Fordington Fields Roundabout, Max Gate Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 7.8 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 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.
Stadium Roundabout
Start near Stadium Roundabout.
Fordington Fields Roundabout
Continue to Fordington Fields Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Max Gate Roundabout
Continue to Max Gate Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
George
Continue to George.
Weldmar Hospicecare Trust
Continue to Weldmar Hospicecare Trust.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Continue to Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
St Peter's Church
Continue to St Peter's Church.
One Stop
Continue to One Stop.
All Saints Church
Continue to All Saints Church.
Dorchester Baptist Church
Continue to Dorchester Baptist Church.
Sainsbury's Local
Continue to Sainsbury's Local.
Sydney Arms
Continue to Sydney Arms.
Bridport Road
Continue to Bridport Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Church of St Mary the Virgin
Continue to Church of St Mary the Virgin.
Dorchester Middle School
Continue to Dorchester Middle School.
Dorchester Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Continue to Dorchester Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Monkey's Jump Roundabout
Continue to Monkey's Jump Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Ash Honda
Continue to Ash Honda.
Baker's Arms
Continue to Baker's Arms.
Tutankhamun Exhibition
Finish back near Tutankhamun Exhibition, completing the loop.
8 roundabouts · 12 turns · 4 sets of lights
11 roundabouts · 17 turns · 1 set of lights
8 roundabouts · 14 turns · 3 sets of lights
7 roundabouts · 20 turns
This route is 34.7 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Dorchester test centre, not an official DVSA route.