Near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts, 15 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 21 navigation steps.
This is an independent 28.0 km practice route near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre, taking roughly 30 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 Redheugh Bridge Roundabout and Denton Road. 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, pubs, shops and parks, 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 62-step drive on real, named roads (about 28.0 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 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 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 3rd exit towards A191/Benwell.
101 m
Exit the roundabout towards A191/Benwell.
A191199 m
Turn left onto Denton Road/A191.
Denton Road1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Broadwood Road.
17 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 Road317 m
Turn right onto West Vallum.
West Vallum58 m
Turn left onto Broadwood Road.
Broadwood Road172 m
Turn right onto West Road/A186.
West Road229 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto West Road/A186.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Road/A186.
West Road1.6 km
Turn right onto Weidner Road.
Weidner Road309 m
Turn right onto Oakfield Gardens.
Oakfield Gardens52 m
Turn right onto Broomridge Avenue.
Broomridge Avenue244 m
Turn right onto Westholme Gardens.
Westholme Gardens54 m
Turn right onto Weidner Road.
Weidner Road249 m
Turn left onto Oakfield Gardens.
Oakfield Gardens76 m
Turn right onto Conhope Lane.
Conhope Lane38 m
Turn left to stay on Conhope Lane.
Conhope Lane101 m
Turn right onto Condercum Road/B1305.
Condercum Road168 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.
B1311550 m
Turn right onto Saint John's Road.
Saint John's Road1.5 km
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 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 5 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
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Redheugh Bridge Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 2.2 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.
Holmeside Hall Social Club
Continue to Holmeside Hall Social Club.
Artificial Grass North East
Continue to Artificial Grass North East.
Redheugh Bridge Park
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Park.
Redheugh Bridge Roundabout
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Dandy Events
Continue to Dandy Events.
Greggs
Continue to Greggs.
Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls
Continue to Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls.
Newcastle Motorcycles - Honda
Continue to Newcastle Motorcycles - Honda.
Arnold Clark - Seat
Continue to Arnold Clark - Seat.
Toolstation
Continue to Toolstation.
Richard Hardie - Fiat
Continue to Richard Hardie - Fiat.
Denton Dene
Continue to Denton Dene.
Denton Road
Continue to Denton Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Denton Burn Methodist Church
Continue to Denton Burn Methodist Church.
Fox and Hounds
Continue to Fox and Hounds.
Newcastle City Learning Centre
Continue to Newcastle City Learning Centre.
Gateway Church
Continue to Gateway Church.
Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries
Continue to Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries.
St Michael's Church
Finish back near St Michael's 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 28.0 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre, not an official DVSA route.