Near Gateshead test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 11 roundabouts, 13 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 28 navigation steps.
This is an independent 51.4 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.
Along the way you'll meet 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 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 pubs, stations, 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 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 126-step drive on real, named roads (about 51.3 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.
396 m
Turn left onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road648 m
Turn left.
76 m
Turn left onto Colliery Road/A1114. Continue on A1114.
A1114644 m
Turn left onto St Omers Road.
St Omers Road295 m
Turn right.
568 m
Turn right onto Cross Lane.
Cross Lane201 m
Turn left to stay on Cross Lane.
Cross Lane145 m
Turn right onto Scotswood View.
Scotswood View251 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Scotswood View.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood View.
Scotswood View167 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Scotswood View.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto Scotswood View.
Scotswood View338 m
Keep right to stay on Scotswood View.
Scotswood View365 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 7th exit onto Riverside Way/A1114.
181 m
Exit the roundabout onto Riverside Way/A1114. Continue on A1114.
A1114769 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A1114.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1114.
A1114539 m
Turn left onto Mandela Way.
Mandela Way585 m
Turn right to stay on Mandela Way.
Mandela Way374 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A1114.
61 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1114.
A1114770 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Riverside Way/A1114.
65 m
Exit the roundabout onto Riverside Way/A1114.
Riverside Way493 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Riverside Way/A1114.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto Riverside Way/A1114.
Riverside Way83 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 7th exit towards A695/Blaydon/Newcastle.
252 m
Exit the roundabout towards A695/Blaydon/Newcastle.
A694391 m
Take the A695 exit.
Scotswood Bridge479 m
Turn left towards A191/Morpeth.
Scotswood Road325 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 2nd exit onto Denton Road/A191.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Denton Road/A191.
Denton Road374 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto West Road/A186.
40 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Road/A186.
West Road1.1 km
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 left 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 Road1.1 km
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 Avenue256 m
Turn right onto Two Ball Lonnen/B1305.
Two Ball Lonnen44 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 3rd exit onto Pooley Road.
52 m
Exit the roundabout onto Pooley Road.
Pooley Road86 m
Turn left onto Pooley Close.
Pooley Close94 m
Turn right.
118 m
Make a right U-turn.
118 m
Turn left onto Pooley Close.
Pooley Close94 m
Turn left onto Pooley Road.
Pooley Road641 m
Turn right onto Slatyford Lane.
Slatyford Lane584 m
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 Lonnen1.1 km
Turn left onto West Road/A186.
West Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Pease Avenue.
Pease Avenue253 m
Turn left to stay on Pease Avenue.
Pease Avenue86 m
Turn right to stay on Pease Avenue.
Pease Avenue206 m
Turn left onto West Road/A186.
West Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto West Road/A186.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto West Road/A186.
West Road580 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 left at the fork.
261 m
Move right onto St Michael's Way.
St Michael's Way964 m
Turn right onto Cross Lane.
Cross Lane145 m
Turn right to stay on Cross Lane.
Cross Lane201 m
Turn left.
666 m
Turn left onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road648 m
Turn left.
76 m
Turn left onto Colliery Road/A1114. Continue on A1114.
A1114644 m
Turn left onto St Omers Road.
St Omers Road295 m
Turn right.
298 m
Turn right onto Waterside Drive.
Waterside Drive77 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Gateshead · Route 14 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.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
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 11.9 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.
Tudor Rose
Start near Tudor Rose.
Metro Centre
Continue to Metro Centre.
MetroCentre
Continue to MetroCentre.
Barker & Stonehouse
Continue to Barker & Stonehouse.
Screwfix
Continue to Screwfix.
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.
Denton Hotel
Continue to Denton Hotel.
One Stop
Continue to One Stop.
Vision Pros
Continue to Vision Pros.
Balloon
Continue to Balloon.
Farmfoods
Continue to Farmfoods.
Denton Nails & Spa
Continue to Denton Nails & Spa.
A Wood Idea
Continue to A Wood Idea.
Wed2b
Continue to Wed2b.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Continue to St Mary's Catholic Primary School.
Fiat Professional
Continue to Fiat Professional.
Tyre Warehouse
Continue to Tyre Warehouse.
Evans Cycles
Finish back near Evans Cycles, 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 51.4 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.