Near Gateshead test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 15 turns and 1 signalled junction across 29 navigation steps.
This is an independent 32.2 km practice loop near Gateshead 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 independent driving. 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 shops, schools, churches 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 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 81-step drive on real, named roads (about 32.1 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 Road1.0 km
Make a sharp right onto Park Terrace.
Park Terrace642 m
Turn right onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road429 m
Turn left.
175 m
Turn left onto Newton Street.
Newton Street31 m
Turn right onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road282 m
Turn left onto Dunston Road.
Dunston Road642 m
Make a sharp right onto Park Terrace.
Park Terrace642 m
Turn right onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road157 m
Turn right onto Dunston Road.
Dunston Road135 m
Turn left onto Rendel Street.
Rendel Street270 m
Turn right onto Barry Street.
Barry Street15 m
Turn left onto Johnson Street.
Johnson Street109 m
Turn right onto Church Street.
Church Street55 m
Turn left onto Victoria Street.
Victoria Street164 m
Turn right onto Ravensworth Road.
Ravensworth Road397 m
Turn right onto Ellison Road.
Ellison Road699 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.
A184700 m
Move left towards Teams.
149 m
Turn right towards Teams.
Derwentwater Road464 m
Turn left onto Johnson Street.
Johnson Street205 m
Turn right onto Yetholm Road.
Yetholm Road228 m
Turn left onto Team Street.
Team Street614 m
Turn right onto Clockmill Road/A1114. Continue on A1114.
A1114291 m
Turn left.
76 m
Turn right onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road121 m
Turn left onto Church Street.
Church Street129 m
Turn right onto Johnson Street.
Johnson Street85 m
Turn right.
113 m
Turn left onto Church Street.
Church Street97 m
Turn right onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road121 m
Turn left.
76 m
Turn right onto Colliery Road/A1114. Continue on A1114.
A1114291 m
Turn left onto Team Street.
Team Street659 m
Turn right onto Askew Road West.
Askew Road West684 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Cuthbert Street.
39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cuthbert Street.
Cuthbert Street130 m
Turn right to take the ramp towards Team Valeey/Consett.
A1841.6 km
Stay straight to take the ramp.
A150 m
Keep left to stay on A1.
A1166 m
Keep right to take A1/E 15.
A1349 m
Take exit 68 onto A692/B6317/B1426 towards Consett/Whickham/Team Valley.
A1262 m
Enter Lobley Hill Interchange and take the 4th exit onto A1.
Lobley Hill Interchange326 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1.
A1153 m
Keep left to take A184.
A1842.4 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 Street360 m
Turn left onto Skinnerburn Road.
Skinnerburn Road615 m
Turn left onto Shot Factory Lane.
Shot Factory Lane158 m
Turn left onto Arena Way.
Arena Way290 m
Move left.
14 m
Turn right.
190 m
Make a right U-turn.
190 m
Turn left.
14 m
Move right onto Arena Way.
Arena Way290 m
Turn right onto Shot Factory Lane.
Shot Factory Lane158 m
Turn left onto Skinnerburn Road.
Skinnerburn Road462 m
Turn left onto Forth Banks/B1600. Continue on B1600.
B1600412 m
Move left onto Railway Street/A695.
Railway Street312 m
Turn right onto Plummer Street/A695.
Plummer Street72 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Scotswood Road/A695.
2 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood Road/A695.
Scotswood Road4.0 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 2nd exit.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1/E 15.
A12.6 km
Take exit 70 towards Whickham/Dunston.
346 m
Move left onto Dunston Road.
Dunston Road928 m
Turn right onto Waterside Drive.
Waterside Drive77 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Gateshead · Route 12 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 6.6 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, 50, 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.
R & C Motor Co Ltd
Start near R & C Motor Co Ltd.
Riverside Primary Academy
Continue to Riverside Primary Academy.
Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church
Continue to Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church.
Ravensworth Road Methodist Church
Continue to Ravensworth Road Methodist Church.
Dunston Hill Methodist Church
Continue to Dunston Hill Methodist Church.
Saint Nicholas With Christ Church
Continue to Saint Nicholas With Christ Church.
Holmeside Hall Social Club
Continue to Holmeside Hall Social Club.
Tudor Rose
Continue to Tudor Rose.
Catholic community Of The Holy Rosary
Continue to Catholic community Of The Holy Rosary.
Waggon Team
Continue to Waggon Team.
Redheugh Bridge Park
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Park.
Porcelanosa
Continue to Porcelanosa.
Utilita Arena
Continue to Utilita Arena.
Mosaic tap
Continue to Mosaic tap.
Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls
Continue to Elswick Parish Church St Stephens & St Pauls.
Richard Hardie - Jeep
Continue to Richard Hardie - Jeep.
Stoneacre Toyota (Gateshead);Stoneacre Toyota
Continue to Stoneacre Toyota (Gateshead);Stoneacre Toyota.
Wed2b
Continue to Wed2b.
Scattergood & Johnson Ltd
Continue to Scattergood & Johnson Ltd.
Forcello
Finish back near Forcello, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 18 turns · 5 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 19 turns · 7 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 16 turns · 4 sets of lights
7 roundabouts · 15 turns · 1 set of lights
This route is 32.2 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gateshead test centre, not an official DVSA route.