Near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 2 roundabouts, 19 turns and 11 signalled junctions across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 51.2 km practice route near Gateshead (Elswick) 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.
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 101-step drive on real, named roads (about 51.2 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 left onto William Armstrong Drive.
William Armstrong Drive973 m
Turn right onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road2.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Scotswood Road/A695.
66 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road2.5 km
Turn right onto Whitehouse Road/B1305. Continue on Whitehouse Road.
Whitehouse Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Chester Pike.
Chester Pike628 m
Turn right onto Armstrong Road.
Armstrong Road248 m
Turn right onto South Benwell Road.
South Benwell Road288 m
Turn left onto Whitehouse Road.
Whitehouse Road194 m
Turn left onto B1305.
B1305387 m
Turn left onto Armstrong Road.
Armstrong Road431 m
Turn right onto Hodgkin Park Road.
Hodgkin Park Road374 m
Turn right onto Benwell Lane/B1311.
Benwell Lane330 m
Turn right onto Atkinson Road/B1305.
Atkinson Road256 m
Turn right onto Armstrong Road.
Armstrong Road431 m
Turn right onto Hodgkin Park Road.
Hodgkin Park Road374 m
Turn left onto Benwell Lane/B1311.
Benwell Lane103 m
Turn right onto Pendower Way.
Pendower Way477 m
Turn right onto Pease Avenue.
Pease Avenue536 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.
West Road410 m
Turn left onto Two Ball Lonnen/B1305.
Two Ball Lonnen383 m
Turn right onto Cedar Road.
Cedar Road222 m
Turn left onto Grange Road.
Grange Road157 m
Turn left onto Lonnen Avenue.
Lonnen Avenue78 m
Turn left onto Newminster Road.
Newminster Road247 m
Turn left onto Cedar Road.
Cedar Road1.7 km
Turn right onto Croydon Road.
Croydon Road190 m
Turn right onto Fenham Road.
Fenham Road79 m
Turn right.
211 m
Turn left onto Studley Terrace.
Studley Terrace32 m
Turn right onto Brighton Grove.
Brighton Grove375 m
Turn left onto Ponteland Road/A189.
Ponteland Road442 m
Turn left onto Fenham Hall Drive.
Fenham Hall Drive418 m
Turn right onto Moorside North.
Moorside North679 m
Turn left onto Wingrove Road North.
Wingrove Road North596 m
Turn left onto Fenham Hall Drive.
Fenham Hall Drive496 m
Turn right onto Ponteland Road/A189. Continue on A189.
A1891.7 km
Make a right U-turn at Strawberry Place onto Barrack Road/A189.
Barrack Road1.2 km
Turn left onto Brighton Grove.
Brighton Grove1.0 km
Turn right onto Westgate Road/A186. Continue on A186.
A1861.8 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.
A1862.5 km
Turn right onto Gloucester Road.
Gloucester Road192 m
Move right onto Sceptre Street.
Sceptre Street328 m
Move left onto Mill Lane.
Mill Lane226 m
Turn right onto Elswick Road/B1311.
Elswick Road470 m
Make a right U-turn at Elswick Road/B1311 to stay on Elswick Road/B1311.
Elswick Road603 m
Turn right onto Beech Grove Road.
Beech Grove Road305 m
Turn left onto Westmorland Road.
Westmorland Road497 m
Turn right onto Maple Terrace.
Maple Terrace563 m
Turn left onto Park Road.
Park Road192 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 3 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 6.8 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.
Porcelanosa
Continue to Porcelanosa.
Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls
Continue to Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls.
Arnold Clark - Ford
Continue to Arnold Clark - Ford.
Richard Hardie - Alfa
Continue to Richard Hardie - Alfa.
St Joseph's Benwell
Continue to St Joseph's Benwell.
St James Parish Church
Continue to St James Parish Church.
Fox and Hounds
Continue to Fox and Hounds.
St Roberts
Continue to St Roberts.
Bike Garden
Continue to Bike Garden.
St James and St Basil
Continue to St James and St Basil.
St. James
Continue to St. James.
St George and St Athanasius Cathedral
Continue to St George and St Athanasius Cathedral.
Hindu Temple
Continue to Hindu Temple.
Shahjal Mosque
Continue to Shahjal Mosque.
Paradise A Lounge
Continue to Paradise A Lounge.
Central Hall Gospel Mission
Continue to Central Hall Gospel Mission.
Bobby’s
Continue to Bobby’s.
Holmeside Hall Social Club
Finish back near Holmeside Hall Social Club, 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 51.2 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre, not an official DVSA route.