Near Gateshead test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 25 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 36 navigation steps.
This is an independent 47.2 km practice loop near Gateshead test centre, taking roughly 50 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, Lobley Hill Interchange and Lobley Hill 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 shops, stations, churches and named junctions, 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 125-step drive on real, named roads (about 47.1 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.
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.
A11141.0 km
Turn right 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 left at the fork.
104 m
Move left onto Hollinside Road.
Hollinside Road261 m
Keep left to stay on Hollinside Road.
Hollinside Road263 m
Take the exit.
A12.2 km
Take exit 69 onto A184 towards Central Newcastle/Central Gateshead.
A1842.0 km
Take the Redheugh Bridge Roundabout exit.
A184237 m
Enter Redheugh Bridge Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A184.
Redheugh Bridge Roundabout280 m
Exit the roundabout onto A184.
A18424 m
Keep right to stay on A184.
A184284 m
Continue on A184.
A1841.5 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.
A1841.1 km
Move left towards Teams.
149 m
Turn right towards Teams.
Derwentwater Road411 m
Turn right to stay on A1114.
A1114153 m
Turn left onto Bolam Street.
Bolam Street233 m
Move left onto Angus Road.
Angus Road122 m
Turn left.
128 m
Turn left onto Morris Street.
Morris Street109 m
Turn right onto Angus Road.
Angus Road96 m
Move right onto Bolam Street.
Bolam Street233 m
Turn right onto A1114.
A1114154 m
Turn left onto Derwentwater Road/A1114.
Derwentwater Road630 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Derwentwater Road/A1114.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto Derwentwater Road/A1114.
Derwentwater Road684 m
Stay straight to take the A184 ramp.
A184703 m
Keep right to take A189.
A1891.2 km
Move right to stay on A189.
A189557 m
Turn left onto Westgate Road/A186.
Westgate Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Brighton Grove.
Brighton Grove197 m
Turn left onto Sidney Grove.
Sidney Grove484 m
Turn right onto Studley Terrace.
Studley Terrace853 m
Turn right onto Barrack Road/A189. Continue on A189.
A189675 m
Keep right to take St James' Boulevard/A189.
St James' Boulevard16 m
Turn right to stay on St James' Boulevard/A189.
St James' Boulevard807 m
Keep left to stay on A189.
A189788 m
Enter Redheugh Bridge Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A184.
Redheugh Bridge Roundabout281 m
Exit the roundabout onto A184.
A18424 m
Keep left at the fork.
175 m
Keep right at the fork.
29 m
Turn left onto Cuthbert Street.
Cuthbert Street203 m
Turn right onto Bensham Road/B1426. Continue on B1426.
B14261.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Lobley Hill Road/B1426.
166 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lobley Hill Road/B1426.
Lobley Hill Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Saltwell Road.
Saltwell Road202 m
Turn left onto Whitehall Road.
Whitehall Road319 m
Turn right onto Brighton Road.
Brighton Road59 m
Turn left onto Hydepark Street.
Hydepark Street120 m
Turn left onto Rectory Road.
Rectory Road71 m
Turn right onto Whitehall Road.
Whitehall Road137 m
Turn left onto Rydal Street.
Rydal Street78 m
Turn left onto Grasmere Street West.
Grasmere Street West87 m
Turn left onto Keswick Street.
Keswick Street81 m
Turn right onto Whitehall Road.
Whitehall Road344 m
Turn right onto Rawling Road.
Rawling Road68 m
Turn left onto Saltwell Street.
Saltwell Street97 m
Turn right onto Saltwell Place.
Saltwell Place168 m
Turn left onto Bensham Road/B1426. Continue on B1426.
B14261.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Lobley Hill Road/B1426.
98 m
Exit the roundabout onto Lobley Hill Road/B1426.
Lobley Hill Road331 m
Enter Lobley Hill Interchange and take the 3rd exit onto A1.
Lobley Hill Interchange251 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1.
A1153 m
Keep left to take A184.
A1841.1 km
Move left towards Dunston.
149 m
Turn left towards Dunston.
Derwentwater Road219 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit towards Dunston.
30 m
Exit the roundabout towards Dunston.
Ellison Road430 m
Turn right onto Ravensworth Road.
Ravensworth Road397 m
Turn left onto Victoria Street.
Victoria Street164 m
Turn right onto Church Street.
Church Street184 m
Turn right onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road121 m
Turn left.
76 m
Turn right onto Colliery Road/A1114. Continue on A1114.
A1114800 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Derwentwater Road/A1114.
23 m
Exit the roundabout onto Derwentwater Road/A1114.
Derwentwater Road684 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.
A11142.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A1114.
90 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1114.
A11141.2 km
Turn right onto Dunston Road.
Dunston Road210 m
Turn left onto Wellington Road.
Wellington Road491 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 20 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
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 10.8 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, 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.
Bodyline
Start near Bodyline.
Fall Protection UK
Continue to Fall Protection UK.
Metro Centre
Continue to Metro Centre.
Bensons for Beds
Continue to Bensons for Beds.
Scattergood & Johnson Ltd
Continue to Scattergood & Johnson Ltd.
Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church
Continue to Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church.
Redheugh Bridge Roundabout
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Lobley Hill Interchange
Continue to Lobley Hill Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Redheugh Bridge Park
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Park.
Hillsong UK Newcastle
Continue to Hillsong UK Newcastle.
St George and St Athanasius Cathedral
Continue to St George and St Athanasius Cathedral.
Newcastle University Business School
Continue to Newcastle University Business School.
Newcastle Coach Station
Continue to Newcastle Coach Station.
Eden Progressive S N U spiritualist Church
Continue to Eden Progressive S N U spiritualist Church.
Lobley Hill Road
Continue to Lobley Hill Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Primitive Methodist church (closed)
Continue to Primitive Methodist church (closed).
Avondale Park
Continue to Avondale Park.
Waggon Team
Continue to Waggon Team.
Ravensworth Road Methodist Church
Continue to Ravensworth Road Methodist Church.
Tudor Rose
Finish back near Tudor Rose, 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 47.2 km and takes about 50 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gateshead test centre, not an official DVSA route.