Near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 18 turns and 7 signalled junctions across 26 navigation steps.
This is an independent 64.9 km practice route near Gateshead (Elswick) 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 Fawdon Interchange and North Park. 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 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 122-step drive on real, named roads (about 64.9 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 Drive84 m
Move left to stay on William Armstrong Drive.
William Armstrong Drive31 m
Move left onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road2.9 km
Turn left onto Scotswood Bridge/A695.
Scotswood Bridge326 m
Keep left to take A694.
Derwenthaugh Road615 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit towards A694/Gateshead.
59 m
Exit the roundabout towards A694/Gateshead.
A694341 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit towards B6317/Consett/Morpeth.
11 m
Exit the roundabout towards B6317/Consett/Morpeth.
A694529 m
Turn left onto Hexham Road/B6317.
Hexham Road529 m
Turn right onto Swalwell Bank/B6317.
Swalwell Bank934 m
Turn right onto George Street.
George Street133 m
Turn left onto William Street.
William Street48 m
Turn right.
22 m
Turn left.
27 m
Turn left onto Thomas Street.
Thomas Street41 m
Turn left to stay on Thomas Street.
Thomas Street51 m
Turn left onto Swalwell Bank/B6317.
Swalwell Bank956 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 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 Road4.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Scotswood Road/A191.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A191.
Scotswood Road253 m
Keep right to stay on A191.
A19189 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A1.
62 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1/E 15.
A18.2 km
Take exit 79 onto A1056/(B1318) towards Wide Open/Killingworth/Gosforth/Great Park.
445 m
Move left onto Great Parkway.
Great Parkway509 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Great Parkway.
50 m
Exit the roundabout onto Great Parkway.
Great Parkway456 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto North Park.
83 m
Exit the roundabout onto North Park.
North Park184 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto North Park.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto North Park.
North Park179 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Great Parkway.
11 m
Exit the roundabout onto Great Parkway.
Great Parkway448 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Great Parkway.
49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Great Parkway.
Great Parkway672 m
Enter Gosforth Park Interchange and take the 5th exit.
Gosforth Park Interchange293 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1/E 15.
A16.6 km
Take exit 75 onto A69/A186 towards Hexham/City (West).
365 m
Enter East Denton Interchange and take the 1st exit onto West Road/A186.
East Denton Interchange5 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Road/A186.
West Road589 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto West Road/A186.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Road/A186.
West Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Pease Avenue.
Pease Avenue536 m
Move right onto Benwell Village.
Benwell Village649 m
Turn right onto Whickham View/B1311.
Whickham View671 m
Enter Denton Road and take the 2nd exit onto Broadwood Road.
Denton Road30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Broadwood Road.
Broadwood Road129 m
Turn left to stay on Broadwood Road.
Broadwood Road247 m
Turn right onto Heathwell Road.
Heathwell Road17 m
Turn right onto Hayleazes Road.
Hayleazes Road226 m
Turn right onto Castlenook Place.
Castlenook Place65 m
Turn right onto Broadwood Road.
Broadwood Road151 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Denton Road/A191.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto Denton Road/A191.
Denton Road927 m
Turn left onto Broadmead Way.
Broadmead Way685 m
Turn left onto Whickham View/B1311.
Whickham View425 m
Turn right onto Thorntree Drive.
Thorntree Drive180 m
Turn right onto Earl's Drive.
Earl's Drive77 m
Turn left onto Bainford Avenue.
Bainford Avenue128 m
Turn left onto Countess Drive.
Countess Drive61 m
Turn left onto Thorntree Drive.
Thorntree Drive126 m
Turn left onto Earl's Drive.
Earl's Drive77 m
Turn left onto Bainford Avenue.
Bainford Avenue128 m
Turn right onto Countess Drive.
Countess Drive20 m
Turn left onto Brignall Gardens.
Brignall Gardens187 m
Turn right onto West Road/A186.
West Road1.6 km
Turn right onto Condercum Road/B1305.
Condercum Road518 m
Turn right onto Condercum Road Back.
Condercum Road Back25 m
Turn right.
83 m
Turn right onto Condercum Road/B1305.
Condercum Road161 m
Turn left onto Adelaide Terrace/B1311. Continue on B1311.
B1311798 m
Move right 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 Road636 m
Turn left onto Saint John's Road.
Saint John's Road1.2 km
Turn right 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 Road629 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 Road1.1 km
Turn left onto William Armstrong Drive.
William Armstrong Drive1.1 km
Turn right onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road912 m
Turn right onto William Armstrong Drive.
William Armstrong Drive121 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 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.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near 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 15.3 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, 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.
Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church
Start near Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church.
Redheugh Bridge Park
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Park.
Richard Hardie - Alfa
Continue to Richard Hardie - Alfa.
Blaydon RFC
Continue to Blaydon RFC.
Holy Trinity Church
Continue to Holy Trinity Church.
Scattergood & Johnson Ltd
Continue to Scattergood & Johnson Ltd.
Newcastle Motorcycles - Honda
Continue to Newcastle Motorcycles - Honda.
Toolstation
Continue to Toolstation.
Screwfix
Continue to Screwfix.
St Oswalds Hospice Charity Outlet
Continue to St Oswalds Hospice Charity Outlet.
Fawdon Interchange
Continue to Fawdon Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
North Park
Continue to North Park, taking the junction with good observation.
Denton Burn Methodist Church
Continue to Denton Burn Methodist Church.
St Bedes
Continue to St Bedes.
St Johns
Continue to St Johns.
Broadmead Way Evangelical Church
Continue to Broadmead Way Evangelical Church.
Newcastle City Learning Centre
Continue to Newcastle City Learning Centre.
Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries
Continue to Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries.
Gateway Church
Continue to Gateway Church.
Central Hall Gospel Mission
Finish back near Central Hall Gospel Mission, 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 64.9 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre, not an official DVSA route.