Near Garretts Green test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 11 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 42.2 km practice route near Garretts Green test centre, taking roughly 35 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 Meadway and Heathway. 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, 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 pubs, churches, schools 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 Garretts Green 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 123-step drive on real, named roads (about 42.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northeast.
130 m
Turn right onto Granby Avenue.
Granby Avenue742 m
Turn left onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane763 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Garretts Green Lane.
68 m
Exit the roundabout onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane282 m
Turn left onto Markfield Road.
Markfield Road129 m
Turn left onto Rotherfield Road.
Rotherfield Road198 m
Turn left onto Brinsley Road.
Brinsley Road106 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Hollyfaste Road.
64 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hollyfaste Road.
Hollyfaste Road408 m
Turn right onto Blakenhale Road.
Blakenhale Road116 m
Keep left to stay on Blakenhale Road.
Blakenhale Road171 m
Turn left onto Outmore Road.
Outmore Road398 m
Turn right onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane1.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Garretts Green Lane.
68 m
Exit the roundabout onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane282 m
Turn left onto Markfield Road.
Markfield Road129 m
Turn left onto Rotherfield Road.
Rotherfield Road198 m
Turn left onto Brinsley Road.
Brinsley Road106 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Garretts Green Lane.
91 m
Exit the roundabout onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Meadway.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Meadway.
Meadway295 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Holbeach Road.
41 m
Exit the roundabout onto Holbeach Road.
Holbeach Road22 m
Turn left onto Meadway.
Meadway351 m
Make a left U-turn at The Lea to stay on Meadway.
Meadway137 m
Keep right to stay on Meadway.
Meadway228 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Meadway.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Meadway.
Meadway295 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Meadway.
39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Meadway.
Meadway132 m
Keep left to stay on Meadway.
Meadway344 m
Keep right to stay on Meadway.
Meadway1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Cooks Lane.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cooks Lane.
Cooks Lane1.1 km
Turn right onto Forth Drive.
Forth Drive237 m
Keep right to stay on Forth Drive.
Forth Drive118 m
Turn left to stay on Forth Drive.
Forth Drive117 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Forth Drive.
Forth Drive116 m
Turn left to stay on Forth Drive.
Forth Drive318 m
Turn right onto Chester Road/B4114.
Chester Road177 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Moorend Avenue.
184 m
Exit the roundabout onto Moorend Avenue.
Moorend Avenue471 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Moorend Avenue.
82 m
Exit the roundabout onto Moorend Avenue.
Moorend Avenue284 m
Enter Pine Square and take the 3rd exit onto Bosworth Drive.
Pine Square138 m
Exit the roundabout onto Bosworth Drive.
Bosworth Drive509 m
Turn left onto Chapelhouse Road.
Chapelhouse Road361 m
Turn right onto Kelsull Croft.
Kelsull Croft68 m
Turn right onto Chester Close.
Chester Close63 m
Turn right to stay on Chester Close.
Chester Close92 m
Turn left to stay on Chester Close.
Chester Close63 m
Turn left onto Kelsull Croft.
Kelsull Croft68 m
Turn left onto Chapelhouse Road.
Chapelhouse Road361 m
Turn right onto Bosworth Drive.
Bosworth Drive502 m
Enter Pine Square and take the 1st exit onto Moorend Avenue.
Pine Square39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Moorend Avenue.
Moorend Avenue288 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Moorend Avenue.
82 m
Exit the roundabout onto Moorend Avenue.
Moorend Avenue476 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A452.
107 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452.
A452665 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A452/Collector Road.
114 m
Exit the roundabout onto A452/Collector Road.
A4524.5 km
Turn left onto Parkfield Drive.
Parkfield Drive277 m
Turn right onto Beechcroft Road.
Beechcroft Road382 m
Keep right to stay on Beechcroft Road.
Beechcroft Road200 m
Turn right onto Chester Road/B4118.
Chester Road597 m
Make a right U-turn onto Birmingham Road.
Birmingham Road106 m
Turn right onto Hall Road/B4118.
Hall Road286 m
Turn left onto Bradford Road/B4114.
Bradford Road19 m
Keep right to stay on Bradford Road/B4114.
Bradford Road425 m
Turn right onto School Lane.
School Lane449 m
Enter Heathway and take the 1st exit.
Heathway34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Heath Way.
Heath Way481 m
Turn right onto Shard End Crescent.
Shard End Crescent482 m
Turn right onto Packington Avenue.
Packington Avenue374 m
Keep left to take Lea Ford Road.
Lea Ford Road2.5 km
Turn left onto Bosworth Drive.
Bosworth Drive141 m
Turn right onto Chapelhouse Road.
Chapelhouse Road962 m
Turn left onto Kelsull Croft.
Kelsull Croft68 m
Turn right onto Chester Close.
Chester Close63 m
Turn right to stay on Chester Close.
Chester Close92 m
Turn left to stay on Chester Close.
Chester Close63 m
Turn left onto Kelsull Croft.
Kelsull Croft68 m
Turn right onto Chapelhouse Road.
Chapelhouse Road962 m
Turn left onto Bosworth Drive.
Bosworth Drive36 m
Keep straight to stay on Bosworth Drive.
Bosworth Drive104 m
Turn right onto Tile Cross Road.
Tile Cross Road3.2 km
Turn right onto Pithall Road.
Pithall Road416 m
Turn left onto Hillstone Road.
Hillstone Road65 m
Turn left onto Nearmoor Road.
Nearmoor Road230 m
Turn left onto Freasley Road.
Freasley Road83 m
Turn right onto Pithall Road.
Pithall Road197 m
Turn left onto Packington Avenue.
Packington Avenue765 m
Keep left to take Lea Ford Road.
Lea Ford Road561 m
Turn right onto Lea Village.
Lea Village207 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Lea Village.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lea Village.
Lea Village96 m
Keep right to stay on Lea Village.
Lea Village13 m
Turn right onto Hurstcroft Road.
Hurstcroft Road305 m
Turn right onto Ridpool Road.
Ridpool Road112 m
Turn left onto Kitts Green Road.
Kitts Green Road279 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Crossfield Road.
52 m
Exit the roundabout onto Crossfield Road.
Crossfield Road379 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Crossfield Road.
64 m
Exit the roundabout onto Crossfield Road.
Crossfield Road90 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto The Lea.
53 m
Exit the roundabout onto The Lea.
The Lea444 m
Turn left onto Meadway.
Meadway220 m
Keep left to stay on Meadway.
Meadway448 m
Turn right onto Lea Hall Road.
Lea Hall Road19 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Garretts Green Lane.
52 m
Exit the roundabout onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Garretts Green Lane.
68 m
Exit the roundabout onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane281 m
Turn left onto Markfield Road.
Markfield Road129 m
Turn left onto Rotherfield Road.
Rotherfield Road198 m
Turn left onto Brinsley Road.
Brinsley Road106 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Garretts Green Lane.
91 m
Exit the roundabout onto Garretts Green Lane.
Garretts Green Lane763 m
Turn right onto Granby Avenue.
Granby Avenue415 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Garretts Green · Route 1 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
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 5.6 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, 50 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.
Garretts Green Sports Bar
Start near Garretts Green Sports Bar.
St Thomas' Church Garretts Green
Continue to St Thomas' Church Garretts Green.
Little Scallywags Day Nursery
Continue to Little Scallywags Day Nursery.
Oasis Academy Blakenhale Infants
Continue to Oasis Academy Blakenhale Infants.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Meadway
Continue to Meadway, taking the junction with good observation.
Asda
Continue to Asda.
Our Lady Help of Christians
Continue to Our Lady Help of Christians.
White Hart
Continue to White Hart.
Centurion
Continue to Centurion.
Kingshurst Evangelical Church
Continue to Kingshurst Evangelical Church.
Chelmsey Wood Seventh Day Adventist CommunityChurch
Continue to Chelmsey Wood Seventh Day Adventist CommunityChurch.
St Anne's
Continue to St Anne's.
KFC
Continue to KFC.
Spar
Continue to Spar.
Castle Bromwich Methodist Church
Continue to Castle Bromwich Methodist Church.
Heathway
Continue to Heathway, taking the junction with good observation.
Whitesmore Neighbourhood Nursery
Continue to Whitesmore Neighbourhood Nursery.
Shard End Police Station
Continue to Shard End Police Station.
Desi Flame
Finish back near Desi Flame, completing the loop.
9 roundabouts · 15 turns · 4 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 12 turns · 3 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 9 turns · 6 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 11 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 42.2 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Garretts Green test centre, not an official DVSA route.