Near Gloucester test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 7 roundabouts, 13 turns and 6 signalled junctions across 25 navigation steps.
This is an independent 29.0 km practice loop near Gloucester 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, 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 shops, pubs, churches and schools, 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 Gloucester 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 106-step drive on real, named roads (about 29.2 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northwest on Falcon Close.
Falcon Close7 m
Turn left to stay on Falcon Close.
Falcon Close12 m
Turn right to stay on Falcon Close.
Falcon Close69 m
Turn right to stay on Falcon Close.
Falcon Close70 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Merlin Drive.
11 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive221 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merlin Drive.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive384 m
Turn left onto Welland Road.
Welland Road206 m
Turn right to stay on Welland Road.
Welland Road36 m
Turn left to stay on Welland Road.
Welland Road149 m
Turn right onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive172 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merlin Drive.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive219 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merlin Drive.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive130 m
Turn left onto Bristol Road/B4008.
Bristol Road280 m
Turn left onto A430.
A430251 m
Keep left to take Bristol Road.
Bristol Road22 m
Continue on Bristol Road.
Bristol Road1.4 km
Keep right to stay on Bristol Road.
Bristol Road277 m
Turn right onto Tuffley Avenue.
Tuffley Avenue282 m
Keep left to stay on Tuffley Avenue.
Tuffley Avenue955 m
Turn right onto Stroud Road/B4072.
Stroud Road317 m
Keep right to stay on Stroud Road/B4072.
Stroud Road37 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A4173.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4173.
A41731.2 km
Turn left.
77 m
Turn left.
17 m
Turn right onto Stroud Road/A4173.
Stroud Road202 m
Keep right to stay on A4173.
A4173935 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A38/Finlay Road.
67 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Finlay Road. Continue on A38.
A381.3 km
Exit the roundabout onto Tredworth Road.
Tredworth Road1.1 km
Turn left onto Wheatstone Road.
Wheatstone Road85 m
Keep right to stay on Wheatstone Road.
Wheatstone Road351 m
Turn left onto Saint Aldwyn Road.
Saint Aldwyn Road23 m
Turn right to stay on Saint Aldwyn Road.
Saint Aldwyn Road14 m
Move left onto Parry Road.
Parry Road204 m
Turn right onto Hartland Road.
Hartland Road276 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Hartland Road.
Hartland Road409 m
Keep right to stay on Hartland Road.
Hartland Road80 m
Turn left onto Tredworth Road.
Tredworth Road529 m
Turn right onto Slaney Street.
Slaney Street78 m
Turn left onto Hanman Road.
Hanman Road130 m
Turn left onto Conduit Street.
Conduit Street63 m
Turn left onto Tredworth Road.
Tredworth Road1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
A38359 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
A38827 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on A38/Eastern Avenue.
A38860 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Painswick Road/B4073.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Painswick Road/B4073.
Painswick Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Matson Lane.
Matson Lane99 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Matson Lane.
96 m
Exit the roundabout onto Matson Lane.
Matson Lane99 m
Turn left onto Painswick Road/B4073.
Painswick Road907 m
Turn right onto Askwith Road.
Askwith Road361 m
Move right onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road47 m
Turn left onto Concorde Way.
Concorde Way152 m
Turn right onto Filton Way.
Filton Way71 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Filton Way.
Filton Way71 m
Turn left onto Concorde Way.
Concorde Way152 m
Turn right onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road47 m
Move left onto Askwith Road.
Askwith Road361 m
Turn left onto Painswick Road/B4073.
Painswick Road907 m
Turn right onto Matson Lane.
Matson Lane99 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Matson Lane.
96 m
Exit the roundabout onto Matson Lane.
Matson Lane99 m
Turn left onto Painswick Road/B4073.
Painswick Road630 m
Turn left onto Cotteswold Road.
Cotteswold Road406 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A38/Finlay Road.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Finlay Road. Continue on A38.
A38684 m
Keep left to take A38/Finlay Road.
A38597 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A38.
54 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38.
A382.1 km
Turn right onto A430.
A430116 m
Take the exit on the right.
A43044 m
Keep left to take Bristol Road.
Bristol Road79 m
Continue on Bristol Road.
Bristol Road601 m
Turn left.
17 m
Turn right.
45 m
Turn right onto Bristol Road.
Bristol Road591 m
Move right.
46 m
Turn left onto A430.
A43016 m
Take the exit on the right.
A430211 m
Move right onto Bristol Road/B4008.
Bristol Road250 m
Turn right onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive234 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merlin Drive.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive220 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merlin Drive.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive137 m
Keep left to stay on Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive217 m
Keep left to stay on Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive28 m
Turn left onto Welland Road.
Welland Road86 m
Move left to stay on Welland Road.
Welland Road119 m
Turn right to stay on Welland Road.
Welland Road36 m
Turn left to stay on Welland Road.
Welland Road149 m
Turn right onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive172 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merlin Drive.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merlin Drive.
Merlin Drive219 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Falcon Close.
55 m
Exit the roundabout onto Falcon Close.
Falcon Close70 m
Turn left to stay on Falcon Close.
Falcon Close40 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Gloucester · Route 18 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 6.9 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 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.
Burger King
Start near Burger King.
Greggs
Continue to Greggs.
Avenue
Continue to Avenue.
Next Wheels & Tyres
Continue to Next Wheels & Tyres.
Fox & Elm
Continue to Fox & Elm.
Saint Barnabas
Continue to Saint Barnabas.
Manuels
Continue to Manuels.
Wongs Kitchen
Continue to Wongs Kitchen.
Duke of Wellington
Continue to Duke of Wellington.
Saint Aldate
Continue to Saint Aldate.
New Apostolic Church
Continue to New Apostolic Church.
Tredworth Junior School
Continue to Tredworth Junior School.
Tesco Express
Continue to Tesco Express.
Marco's Kebab Van
Continue to Marco's Kebab Van.
Rose Garden
Continue to Rose Garden.
Saint Augustine
Continue to Saint Augustine.
Trinity Baptist Church
Continue to Trinity Baptist Church.
Johnsons Mazda
Continue to Johnsons Mazda.
Wickes
Continue to Wickes.
Pets at Home
Finish back near Pets at Home, completing the loop.
12 roundabouts · 23 turns · 5 sets of lights
13 roundabouts · 12 turns · 5 sets of lights
10 roundabouts · 8 turns · 3 sets of lights
11 roundabouts · 11 turns · 5 sets of lights
This route is 29.0 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gloucester test centre, not an official DVSA route.