Near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 21 turns and 9 signalled junctions across 33 navigation steps.
This is an independent 59.0 km practice route near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre, taking roughly 45 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.
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 churches, parks, shops and pubs, 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 Gateshead (Elswick) 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 125-step drive on real, named roads (about 59.0 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northeast.
14 m
Turn right.
15 m
Turn left onto Waterside Drive.
Waterside Drive29 m
Turn right to stay on Waterside Drive.
Waterside Drive77 m
Turn left onto Dunston Road.
Dunston Road917 m
Take the A1 exit.
A1577 m
Take exit 69 onto A184 towards Central Newcastle/Central Gateshead.
A1842.0 km
Keep right to take A189.
A1891.2 km
Move left onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road136 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Scotswood Road/A695.
22 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road386 m
Turn left onto Dunn Street.
Dunn Street64 m
Turn right onto Penn Street.
Penn Street760 m
Turn left onto Amethyst Road.
Amethyst Road351 m
Turn right.
37 m
Turn right.
88 m
Turn left onto Amethyst Road.
Amethyst Road299 m
Turn left onto Monarch Road.
Monarch Road389 m
Turn right onto William Armstrong Drive.
William Armstrong Drive121 m
Turn right onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road743 m
Turn right onto Dunn Street.
Dunn Street372 m
Turn left onto Skinnerburn Road.
Skinnerburn Road1.1 km
Turn left onto Forth Banks/B1600. Continue on B1600.
B1600412 m
Turn right onto Railway Street/A695.
Railway Street96 m
Turn left onto Scotswood Road/A189.
Scotswood Road226 m
Move left to stay on A189.
A1892.7 km
Stay straight to take the ramp.
A150 m
Keep right to take A1/E 15.
A1821 m
Take exit 70 towards Whickham/Dunston.
378 m
Move left onto Park Terrace.
Park Terrace196 m
Turn left onto Ellison Road.
Ellison Road82 m
Turn left onto Gunn Street.
Gunn Street81 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Gunn Street.
Gunn Street81 m
Turn right onto Ellison Road.
Ellison Road82 m
Turn left onto Dunston Bank.
Dunston Bank614 m
Turn right onto Whickham Highway/B6317. Continue on B6317.
B63172.1 km
Move left onto George Street.
George Street113 m
Turn left.
21 m
Turn left.
52 m
Turn right onto George Street.
George Street47 m
Turn left onto Swalwell Bank/B6317.
Swalwell Bank935 m
Turn right onto Hexham Road/B6317.
Hexham Road229 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A1.
16 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1/E 15.
A13.1 km
Take exit 69 onto A184 towards Central Newcastle/Central Gateshead.
A1842.0 km
Keep right to take A189.
A1891.2 km
Move right to stay on A189.
A189329 m
Turn left onto Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road230 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Westmorland Road.
34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road156 m
Turn right to stay on Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road454 m
Turn left onto Park Road.
Park Road183 m
Turn left onto Cambridge Street.
Cambridge Street563 m
Turn right onto Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road134 m
Turn left onto Rye Hill.
Rye Hill296 m
Turn left onto Elswick Road/B1311.
Elswick Road1.1 km
Make a right U-turn at Elswick Road/B1311 to stay on Elswick Road/B1311.
Elswick Road480 m
Turn left onto Mill Lane.
Mill Lane226 m
Move right onto Sceptre Street.
Sceptre Street328 m
Move left onto Gloucester Road.
Gloucester Road192 m
Turn right onto Westgate Road/A186.
Westgate Road555 m
Turn left onto Corporation Street.
Corporation Street32 m
Move left onto Buckingham Street.
Buckingham Street414 m
Turn left onto Stanhope Street.
Stanhope Street878 m
Turn right onto Brighton Grove.
Brighton Grove822 m
Turn right onto Barrack Road/A189. Continue on A189.
A1891.2 km
Make a right U-turn at Strawberry Place onto Barrack Road/A189.
Barrack Road1.2 km
Turn left onto Brighton Grove.
Brighton Grove375 m
Turn right onto Studley Terrace.
Studley Terrace392 m
Turn left onto Wingrove Avenue.
Wingrove Avenue469 m
Turn right onto Agricola Road.
Agricola Road67 m
Turn left onto Wingrove Road.
Wingrove Road205 m
Turn right onto Westgate Road/A186. Continue on A186.
A1861.4 km
Turn right onto Two Ball Lonnen/B1305.
Two Ball Lonnen206 m
Turn left onto Benwell Hill Road.
Benwell Hill Road473 m
Move left onto Saint Cuthbert's Road.
Saint Cuthbert's Road63 m
Turn left onto West Road/A186. Continue on A186.
A1862.0 km
Turn right onto Grainger Park Road.
Grainger Park Road627 m
Turn left onto Elswick Road/B1311.
Elswick Road339 m
Turn right.
58 m
Turn left onto Georges Road.
Georges Road17 m
Turn left onto Elswick Road/B1311.
Elswick Road284 m
Turn left onto West View.
West View340 m
Turn left onto Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Maple Terrace.
Maple Terrace563 m
Turn right onto Park Road.
Park Road183 m
Turn left onto Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road319 m
Turn left onto Brunel Terrace.
Brunel Terrace109 m
Turn right onto Wolsingham Street.
Wolsingham Street208 m
Turn left.
129 m
Turn left onto Sanderson Street.
Sanderson Street175 m
Move left onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road144 m
Turn left onto Clumber Street.
Clumber Street165 m
Turn left to stay on Clumber Street.
Clumber Street69 m
Turn right onto Brunel Terrace.
Brunel Terrace175 m
Turn right onto Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road320 m
Turn right onto Park Road.
Park Road374 m
Turn left onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road608 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Scotswood Road/A695.
66 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road394 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road397 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Scotswood Road/A695.
23 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road69 m
Keep right to stay on Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road54 m
Move right to stay on Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road11 m
Turn right onto St James' Boulevard/A189.
A1892.8 km
Stay straight to take the ramp.
A150 m
Keep right to take A1/E 15.
A1821 m
Take exit 70 towards Whickham/Dunston.
378 m
Move left onto Park Terrace.
Park Terrace196 m
Turn left onto Ellison Road.
Ellison Road82 m
Turn left onto Gunn Street.
Gunn Street81 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Gunn Street.
Gunn Street81 m
Turn right onto Ellison Road.
Ellison Road82 m
Turn right onto Park Terrace.
Park Terrace308 m
Turn right to take the A1 ramp.
A1565 m
Take exit 69 onto A184 towards Central Newcastle/Central Gateshead.
A1842.0 km
Keep right to take A189.
A1891.2 km
Move left onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road136 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Scotswood Road/A695.
22 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road1.1 km
Turn left onto William Armstrong Drive.
William Armstrong Drive109 m
Turn left onto Monarch Road.
Monarch Road389 m
Turn right onto Amethyst Road.
Amethyst Road351 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Gateshead (Elswick) · Route 11 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.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
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 13.8 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, 50, 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.
Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church
Start near Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church.
Redheugh Bridge Park
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Park.
Autosounds Car Audio
Continue to Autosounds Car Audio.
Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls
Continue to Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls.
Mosaic tap
Continue to Mosaic tap.
Eagle Gay Bar
Continue to Eagle Gay Bar.
Holmeside Hall Social Club
Continue to Holmeside Hall Social Club.
Spoor
Continue to Spoor.
Holy Trinity Church
Continue to Holy Trinity Church.
Newcastle Coach Station
Continue to Newcastle Coach Station.
Central Hall Gospel Mission
Continue to Central Hall Gospel Mission.
Shahjal Mosque
Continue to Shahjal Mosque.
iHarvest Church
Continue to iHarvest Church.
St. James
Continue to St. James.
Black & White Bull
Continue to Black & White Bull.
Hindu Temple
Continue to Hindu Temple.
Fox and Hounds
Continue to Fox and Hounds.
Newcasyle Central Mosque
Continue to Newcasyle Central Mosque.
St Michael's Church
Continue to St Michael's Church.
Newcastle upon Tyne Seventh-day Adventist Church
Finish back near Newcastle upon Tyne Seventh-day Adventist Church, completing the loop.
5 roundabouts · 25 turns · 6 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 22 turns · 8 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 23 turns · 8 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 20 turns · 7 sets of lights
This route is 59.0 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre, not an official DVSA route.