Near Hartlepool test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 7 roundabouts, 17 turns and 6 signalled junctions across 28 navigation steps.
This is an independent 23.6 km practice route near Hartlepool 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 West View 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, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads 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 pubs, stations, churches and shops, 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 Hartlepool 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 66-step drive on real, named roads (about 23.6 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive south.
23 m
Turn right.
31 m
Turn right onto Mainsforth Terrace.
Mainsforth Terrace92 m
Turn left onto Mainsforth Terrace/A178.
Mainsforth Terrace493 m
Turn left onto Huckelhoven Way.
Huckelhoven Way622 m
Move right to stay on Huckelhoven Way.
Huckelhoven Way66 m
Turn right onto A689/Stockton Street.
A689323 m
Turn left onto Victoria Road.
Victoria Road549 m
Turn right onto Murray Street.
Murray Street128 m
Turn right onto Elliott Street.
Elliott Street180 m
Turn left onto York Road/B1277.
York Road29 m
Turn right onto Errol Street.
Errol Street89 m
Turn left onto Avenue Road.
Avenue Road109 m
Turn left onto Raby Road.
Raby Road186 m
Turn right onto Raby Road/B1277. Continue on Raby Road.
Raby Road722 m
Turn left onto Chatham Road.
Chatham Road499 m
Turn left onto Jesmond Gardens.
Jesmond Gardens485 m
Turn left onto Hart Lane.
Hart Lane552 m
Turn left onto Raby Road.
Raby Road702 m
Turn left onto Challoner Road.
Challoner Road496 m
Turn left onto Jesmond Gardens.
Jesmond Gardens197 m
Turn left onto Chatham Road.
Chatham Road499 m
Turn right onto Raby Road.
Raby Road360 m
Turn left onto Grainger Street.
Grainger Street70 m
Turn left onto Farah Road.
Farah Road74 m
Turn left onto Phillips Road.
Phillips Road68 m
Turn right onto Raby Road.
Raby Road718 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A179/Easington Road.
35 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Easington Road.
A179495 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A179/Easington Road.
115 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Easington Road.
A179484 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Winterbottom Avenue.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Winterbottom Avenue.
Winterbottom Avenue590 m
Turn right onto Warren Road.
Warren Road640 m
Turn left onto West View Road/A1049.
West View Road597 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Winterbottom Avenue.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto Winterbottom Avenue.
Winterbottom Avenue546 m
Turn left onto Warren Road.
Warren Road650 m
Turn right onto West View Road/A1049.
West View Road973 m
Turn left to stay on West View Road/A1049.
West View Road173 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto West View Road/A1049.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto West View Road/A1049.
West View Road741 m
Make a sharp left onto Warren Street.
Warren Street130 m
Turn left onto Corporation Road.
Corporation Road59 m
Turn right onto West View Road/A1049.
West View Road621 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto West View Road/A1049.
9 m
Exit the roundabout onto West View Road/A1049.
West View Road174 m
Turn right to stay on West View Road/A1049.
West View Road1.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto West View Road/A1049.
100 m
Exit the roundabout onto West View Road/A1049.
West View Road1.6 km
Turn right onto Cleveland Road/A1048.
Cleveland Road751 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A179/Marina Way.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Marina Way.
A179690 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A179/Marina Way.
150 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Marina Way.
A179690 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A179/Marina Way.
127 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Marina Way.
A179690 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A179/Marina Way.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Marina Way.
A179428 m
Enter Asda Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A689/Marina Gateway.
Asda Roundabout63 m
Exit the roundabout onto A689/Marina Gateway.
A689191 m
Turn left onto Church Square/A178.
Church Square147 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Church Street/A178.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Church Street/A178.
Church Street337 m
Turn right onto Mainsforth Terrace/A178.
Mainsforth Terrace564 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Hartlepool · 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.
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.
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 4.6 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.
Princess Helena
Start near Princess Helena.
Victoria Road
Continue to Victoria Road.
Saint Paul
Continue to Saint Paul.
Premier
Continue to Premier.
Jesmond Road Primary School
Continue to Jesmond Road Primary School.
Grateful Hearts
Continue to Grateful Hearts.
Morley's
Continue to Morley's.
Spar
Continue to Spar.
Merry-Go-Round
Continue to Merry-Go-Round.
Richardsons & Westgarth Club
Continue to Richardsons & Westgarth Club.
St Thomas More RC Church
Continue to St Thomas More RC Church.
Catcote Futures
Continue to Catcote Futures.
West View Baptist Church
Continue to West View Baptist Church.
Central
Continue to Central.
Victoria Arms
Continue to Victoria Arms.
Headland Super Store
Continue to Headland Super Store.
Central Estate Methodist Church
Continue to Central Estate Methodist Church.
West View Road
Continue to West View Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Hartlepool Interchange
Continue to Hartlepool Interchange.
Northern School Of Art
Finish back near Northern School Of Art, completing the loop.
6 roundabouts · 19 turns · 5 sets of lights
13 roundabouts · 13 turns · 8 sets of lights
7 roundabouts · 13 turns · 5 sets of lights
4 roundabouts · 19 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 23.6 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Hartlepool test centre, not an official DVSA route.