Near Gateshead (Elswick) test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 17 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 25 navigation steps.
This is an independent 65.5 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.
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, parks 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 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 127-step drive on real, named roads (about 65.5 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 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 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 Lonnen808 m
Turn left onto Netherby Drive.
Netherby Drive615 m
Turn right onto Silver Lonnen/A191.
Silver Lonnen65 m
Turn left onto Slatyford Lane.
Slatyford Lane1.4 km
Turn right onto West Road/A186.
West Road361 m
Enter East Denton Interchange and take the 1st exit.
East Denton Interchange7 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1/E 15.
A13.9 km
Take exit 71 towards Metro Centre.
91 m
Keep right at the fork.
227 m
Turn right onto Hollinside Road.
Hollinside Road206 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit towards Dunston.
22 m
Exit the roundabout towards Dunston.
Market Lane412 m
Turn right onto Lambton Avenue.
Lambton Avenue524 m
Turn left onto Orchard Road.
Orchard Road140 m
Turn right onto Duckpool Lane.
Duckpool Lane296 m
Turn right onto Front Street/B6317.
Front Street144 m
Turn left onto Broom Lane.
Broom Lane470 m
Turn left onto Southfield Road.
Southfield Road178 m
Turn right onto The Drive.
The Drive458 m
Turn left onto Southfield Road.
Southfield Road323 m
Turn right onto Broom Lane.
Broom Lane471 m
Turn right onto Front Street/B6317.
Front Street144 m
Turn left onto Duckpool Lane.
Duckpool Lane296 m
Turn left onto Orchard Road.
Orchard Road140 m
Turn right onto Lambton Avenue.
Lambton Avenue523 m
Turn left onto Market Lane.
Market Lane412 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hollinside Road.
49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hollinside Road.
Hollinside Road109 m
Turn left to take the ramp towards Newcastle/Hexham.
A13.8 km
Take exit 75 onto A186 towards Hexham/City (West).
319 m
Keep right to take A186 towards Newcastle Upon Tyne (West).
91 m
Enter East Denton Interchange and take the 3rd exit onto West Road/A186.
East Denton Interchange135 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Road/A186.
West Road360 m
Turn left onto Slatyford Lane.
Slatyford Lane116 m
Turn left onto The Drive.
The Drive69 m
Turn right onto Ashleigh Road.
Ashleigh Road227 m
Turn left onto Slatyford Lane.
Slatyford Lane1.1 km
Turn right onto Silver Lonnen/A191.
Silver Lonnen65 m
Turn left onto Netherby Drive.
Netherby Drive615 m
Turn right onto Two Ball Lonnen/B1305.
Two Ball Lonnen44 m
Turn left onto Lonnen Avenue.
Lonnen Avenue256 m
Turn right onto Grange Road.
Grange Road157 m
Turn right onto Cedar Road.
Cedar Road222 m
Turn right onto Two Ball Lonnen/B1305.
Two Ball Lonnen425 m
Turn left onto Netherby Drive.
Netherby Drive615 m
Turn right onto Silver Lonnen/A191.
Silver Lonnen186 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
Stamfordham Road503 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
Stamfordham Road445 m
Enter Westerhope Interchange and take the 4th exit onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
Westerhope Interchange231 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
Stamfordham Road449 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
61 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stamfordham Road/A167.
Stamfordham Road445 m
Enter Westerhope Interchange and take the 1st exit.
Westerhope Interchange6 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1/E 15.
A12.2 km
Take exit 74.
A1917 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit towards A695/City Centre/Blaydon.
34 m
Exit the roundabout towards A695/City Centre/Blaydon.
A191329 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Scotswood Road/A695.
49 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road4.1 km
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 7 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.
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 17.3 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.
Holmeside Hall Social Club
Continue to Holmeside Hall Social Club.
Redheugh Bridge Park
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Park.
Richard Hardie - Fiat
Continue to Richard Hardie - Fiat.
Stoneacre Toyota (Gateshead);Stoneacre Toyota
Continue to Stoneacre Toyota (Gateshead);Stoneacre Toyota.
Blaydon RFC
Continue to Blaydon RFC.
Holy Trinity Church
Continue to Holy Trinity Church.
Mambo
Continue to Mambo.
Toolstation
Continue to Toolstation.
Atkinson Road Primary Academy
Continue to Atkinson Road Primary Academy.
St Joseph's Benwell
Continue to St Joseph's Benwell.
Fox and Hounds
Continue to Fox and Hounds.
William Hill
Continue to William Hill.
Floors-2-Go
Continue to Floors-2-Go.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Continue to St Mary's Catholic Primary School.
Fiat Professional
Continue to Fiat Professional.
Oxley Fish Chips Kebabs
Continue to Oxley Fish Chips Kebabs.
Balloon
Continue to Balloon.
Screwfix
Continue to Screwfix.
Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls
Finish back near Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls, 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 65.5 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.