Near Gloucester test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 11 roundabouts, 11 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 25 navigation steps.
This is an independent 41.3 km practice loop near Gloucester 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 Naas Lane Roundabout and Telford Way. 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, named junctions, 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 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 138-step drive on real, named roads (about 41.2 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 Road601 m
Turn left.
17 m
Turn right.
45 m
Turn right onto Bristol Road.
Bristol Road591 m
Turn left onto A430.
A4301.7 km
Turn left onto Kingsway.
Kingsway175 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Newhaven Road.
55 m
Exit the roundabout onto Newhaven Road.
Newhaven Road93 m
Keep left to stay on Newhaven Road.
Newhaven Road462 m
Enter Telford Way and take the 3rd exit onto Naas Lane.
Telford Way59 m
Exit the roundabout onto Naas Lane.
Naas Lane209 m
Enter Naas Lane Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Naas Lane.
Naas Lane Roundabout97 m
Exit the roundabout onto Naas Lane.
Naas Lane209 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Telford Way.
67 m
Exit the roundabout onto Telford Way.
Telford Way369 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit.
124 m
Exit the roundabout onto Telford Way.
Telford Way363 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Newhaven Road.
34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Newhaven Road.
Newhaven Road552 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Kingsway.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kingsway.
Kingsway152 m
Move right to stay on Kingsway.
Kingsway12 m
Turn right onto A38.
A382.7 km
Keep left to take A38/Cole Avenue.
A38343 m
Keep left to stay on A38.
A38500 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A38/Finlay Road.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Finlay Road. Continue on A38.
A381.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
48 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.
A381.2 km
Turn right onto York Road.
York Road225 m
Turn left onto Durham Road.
Durham Road196 m
Turn right onto Wells Road.
Wells Road87 m
Turn right onto Chester Road.
Chester Road241 m
Turn right onto York Road.
York Road289 m
Turn left onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
A381.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
A38353 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
60 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
Turn left onto A430.
A430150 m
Move left.
1.1 km
Turn left onto Podsmead Road.
Podsmead Road128 m
Turn left to stay on Podsmead Road.
Podsmead Road391 m
Turn right onto Podsmead Court.
Podsmead Court63 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Podsmead Court.
Podsmead Court63 m
Turn left onto Podsmead Road.
Podsmead Road24 m
Turn right onto Milton Avenue.
Milton Avenue304 m
Turn left to stay on Milton Avenue.
Milton Avenue4 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Milton Avenue.
Milton Avenue4 m
Turn right to stay on Milton Avenue.
Milton Avenue303 m
Turn left onto Podsmead Road.
Podsmead Road24 m
Turn right onto Podsmead Court.
Podsmead Court63 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Podsmead Court.
Podsmead Court63 m
Turn right onto Podsmead Road.
Podsmead Road250 m
Turn left onto Tuffley Crescent.
Tuffley Crescent464 m
Turn right onto Tuffley Avenue.
Tuffley Avenue120 m
Keep right to stay on Tuffley Avenue.
Tuffley Avenue782 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.
72 m
Move left.
5 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 4th exit onto Reservoir Road.
93 m
Exit the roundabout onto Reservoir Road.
Reservoir Road253 m
Move right to stay on Reservoir Road.
Reservoir Road18 m
Turn right to stay on Reservoir Road.
Reservoir Road746 m
Turn right onto Baneberry Road.
Baneberry Road252 m
Keep left to stay on Baneberry Road.
Baneberry Road108 m
Keep right to stay on Baneberry Road.
Baneberry Road426 m
Turn left onto Norbury Avenue.
Norbury Avenue313 m
Turn right onto Painswick Road/B4073.
Painswick Road304 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 Lane27 m
Keep left to stay on Matson Lane.
Matson Lane71 m
Turn left onto Painswick Road/B4073.
Painswick Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
53 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
A38828 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on A38/Eastern Avenue.
A38860 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/Eastern Avenue.
A38353 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A38/Finlay Road.
60 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.
A382.3 km
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 Drive245 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 7 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.
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 Naas Lane Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 19.7 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, 60 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.
Greggs
Start near Greggs.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Completely Motoring
Continue to Completely Motoring.
Naas Lane Roundabout
Continue to Naas Lane Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Telford Way
Continue to Telford Way, taking the junction with good observation.
Johnsons Mazda
Continue to Johnsons Mazda.
Wickes
Continue to Wickes.
Saint Aldate
Continue to Saint Aldate.
Wongs Kitchen
Continue to Wongs Kitchen.
Marco's Kebab Van
Continue to Marco's Kebab Van.
Trinity Baptist Church
Continue to Trinity Baptist Church.
Pets at Home
Continue to Pets at Home.
Alders Clinic
Continue to Alders Clinic.
Fox & Elm
Continue to Fox & Elm.
Saint Barnabas
Continue to Saint Barnabas.
Hill Fish & Chip Shop
Continue to Hill Fish & Chip Shop.
Three Oaks
Continue to Three Oaks.
Rose Garden
Continue to Rose Garden.
Saint Augustine
Continue to Saint Augustine.
Formula One Autocentres
Finish back near Formula One Autocentres, 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
9 roundabouts · 9 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 41.3 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Gloucester test centre, not an official DVSA route.