Near Gateshead test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 9 roundabouts, 21 turns and 6 signalled junctions across 34 navigation steps.
This is an independent 45.9 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. 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, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads, independent driving 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 schools, churches, named junctions 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 132-step drive on real, named roads (about 45.9 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 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 Road310 m
Turn right.
62 m
Turn left onto Meadow Lane.
Meadow Lane90 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Meadow Lane.
Meadow Lane90 m
Turn right.
62 m
Turn right onto Dunston Road.
Dunston Road211 m
Take the A1 exit.
A1577 m
Take exit 69 onto A184 towards Central Newcastle/Central Gateshead.
A1842.0 km
Take the Redheugh Bridge Roundabout exit.
A184237 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Askew Road West.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Askew Road West.
Askew Road West143 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Cuthbert Street.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cuthbert Street.
Cuthbert Street333 m
Turn left onto Bensham Road/B1426.
Bensham Road409 m
Turn right onto Coatsworth Road.
Coatsworth Road712 m
Turn right onto Whitehall Road.
Whitehall Road162 m
Turn right onto Keswick Street.
Keswick Street81 m
Turn right onto Grasmere Street West.
Grasmere Street West87 m
Turn right onto Rydal Street.
Rydal Street78 m
Turn left onto Whitehall Road.
Whitehall Road219 m
Turn right onto Alexandra Road.
Alexandra Road65 m
Turn left onto Exeter Street.
Exeter Street173 m
Turn left onto Prince Consort Road.
Prince Consort Road173 m
Turn left onto Lincoln Street.
Lincoln Street186 m
Turn left onto Alexandra Road.
Alexandra Road50 m
Turn left onto Ripon Street.
Ripon Street182 m
Turn right onto Prince Consort Road.
Prince Consort Road211 m
Turn left onto Camborne Place.
Camborne Place133 m
Turn left onto Durham Road/A167. Continue on A167.
A167462 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Old Durham Road/B1296.
239 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Durham Road/B1296.
Old Durham Road1.2 km
Turn right onto Valley Drive.
Valley Drive341 m
Turn left onto Dryden Road.
Dryden Road359 m
Turn right onto Musgrave Road.
Musgrave Road73 m
Turn right onto Westover Gardens.
Westover Gardens238 m
Move right.
32 m
Move right onto Valley Drive.
Valley Drive81 m
Turn left onto Dryden Road.
Dryden Road434 m
Turn right onto Holyoake Gardens.
Holyoake Gardens292 m
Turn left onto Old Durham Road/B1296.
Old Durham Road931 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto B1426.
118 m
Exit the roundabout onto B1426.
B1426196 m
Turn left onto Arthur Street/B1426.
Arthur Street179 m
Turn right onto Prince Consort Road/B1426.
Prince Consort Road238 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A184/West Central Route.
68 m
Exit the roundabout onto A184/West Central Route.
A184485 m
Take the A184 exit.
A184863 m
Enter Redheugh Bridge Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A184.
Redheugh Bridge Roundabout54 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 right to take A1/E 15.
A1821 m
Take exit 70 towards Whickham/Dunston.
378 m
Move left onto Park Terrace.
Park Terrace393 m
Turn left onto King George Avenue.
King George Avenue24 m
Turn right onto Oak Avenue.
Oak Avenue259 m
Turn right onto Mount Grove.
Mount Grove165 m
Turn right onto Valley Drive.
Valley Drive189 m
Turn left onto Mount Grove.
Mount Grove103 m
Turn left onto Oak Avenue.
Oak Avenue259 m
Turn left onto King George Avenue.
King George Avenue24 m
Turn right onto Dunston Bank.
Dunston Bank505 m
Turn right to take the A1 ramp.
A1565 m
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 3rd exit onto A184/Askew Road.
Redheugh Bridge Roundabout181 m
Exit the roundabout onto A184/Askew Road.
A184847 m
Turn right onto A184/West Central Route.
A184526 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Prince Consort Road/B1426.
76 m
Exit the roundabout onto Prince Consort Road/B1426. Continue on Prince Consort Road.
Prince Consort Road861 m
Turn left onto Camborne Place.
Camborne Place133 m
Turn left onto Durham Road/A167. Continue on A167.
A167462 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Old Durham Road/B1296.
239 m
Exit the roundabout onto Old Durham Road/B1296.
Old Durham Road1.6 km
Turn right onto Evistones Road.
Evistones Road168 m
Turn left onto Salkeld Road.
Salkeld Road307 m
Turn right onto Kells Lane.
Kells Lane26 m
Move left to stay on Kells Lane.
Kells Lane208 m
Move right onto Denewell Avenue.
Denewell Avenue370 m
Turn right onto Durham Road/A167. Continue on A167.
A1672.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A167.
293 m
Exit the roundabout onto A167.
A1672.2 km
Turn right onto Belle Vue Bank.
Belle Vue Bank300 m
Turn left onto Belle Vue Terrace.
Belle Vue Terrace155 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Belle Vue Terrace.
Belle Vue Terrace155 m
Turn left onto Belle Vue Bank.
Belle Vue Bank244 m
Turn right onto Saltwell Road South.
Saltwell Road South1.6 km
Turn right onto Whitehall Road.
Whitehall Road175 m
Turn left onto Rawling Road.
Rawling Road68 m
Turn left onto Saltwell Street.
Saltwell Street97 m
Turn right onto Saltwell Place.
Saltwell Place168 m
Turn right onto Bensham Road/B1426.
Bensham Road496 m
Turn left onto Cuthbert Street.
Cuthbert Street333 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Askew Road West.
16 m
Exit the roundabout onto Askew Road West.
Askew Road West684 m
Turn left onto Team Street.
Team Street477 m
Turn right onto Teemers Drive.
Teemers Drive131 m
Turn right onto North Side.
North Side73 m
Turn right onto Easter Street.
Easter Street68 m
Turn right onto Ash Street.
Ash Street50 m
Turn right to stay on Ash Street.
Ash Street10 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Ash Street.
Ash Street10 m
Turn left to stay on Ash Street.
Ash Street50 m
Turn left to stay on Ash Street.
Ash Street68 m
Turn right onto North Side.
North Side70 m
Turn right onto Spring Street.
Spring Street56 m
Turn left onto July Courtyard.
July Courtyard150 m
Turn left onto Fall Pass.
Fall Pass55 m
Turn right onto North Side.
North Side85 m
Turn right onto Autumn Drive.
Autumn Drive873 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Cuthbert Street.
39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cuthbert Street.
Cuthbert Street333 m
Turn right onto Bensham Road/B1426. Continue on B1426.
B14261.7 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 right to take A1/E 15.
A11.2 km
Take exit 70 towards Whickham/Dunston.
360 m
Turn right onto Dunston Interchange.
Dunston Interchange1.0 km
Turn right onto Waterside Drive.
Waterside Drive77 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Gateshead · Route 9 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.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
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 12.3 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 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.
Riverside Primary Academy
Start near Riverside Primary Academy.
Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church
Continue to Dunston Christian Spiritualist Church.
Eden Progressive S N U spiritualist Church
Continue to Eden Progressive S N U spiritualist Church.
Gateshead & Whickham Spiritualist Centre
Continue to Gateshead & Whickham Spiritualist Centre.
Durham Road Baptist Church
Continue to Durham Road Baptist Church.
Emmanuel Pentecostal Church
Continue to Emmanuel Pentecostal Church.
St Josephs Roman Catholic Aided Primary Schhol
Continue to St Josephs Roman Catholic Aided Primary Schhol.
Redheugh Bridge Roundabout
Continue to Redheugh Bridge Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Holmeside Hall Social Club
Continue to Holmeside Hall Social Club.
Gateshead
Continue to Gateshead.
Masjid Awliya Allah
Continue to Masjid Awliya Allah.
Denewell Avenue URC Church
Continue to Denewell Avenue URC Church.
St Mark's Methodist Church
Continue to St Mark's Methodist Church.
St George's Church
Continue to St George's Church.
St Helen's Church Low Fell
Continue to St Helen's Church Low Fell.
Nine Pins
Continue to Nine Pins.
Primitive Methodist church (closed)
Continue to Primitive Methodist church (closed).
Catholic community Of The Holy Rosary
Continue to Catholic community Of The Holy Rosary.
Whickham House
Continue to Whickham House.
Waggon Team
Finish back near Waggon Team, 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 45.9 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.