Near Hartlepool test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 9 roundabouts, 16 turns and 9 signalled junctions across 32 navigation steps.
This is an independent 16.9 km practice route near Hartlepool test centre, taking roughly 45 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 Asda 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 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, schools, stations and churches, 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 57-step drive on real, named roads (about 16.9 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 Road1.2 km
Turn right onto Welldeck Road.
Welldeck Road219 m
Turn right onto Cundall Road.
Cundall Road719 m
Turn left onto Murray Street.
Murray Street192 m
Turn left onto Rodney Street.
Rodney Street201 m
Turn right onto Blake Street.
Blake Street109 m
Turn left onto Hart Lane.
Hart Lane729 m
Turn right onto Thornhill Gardens.
Thornhill Gardens319 m
Turn left onto Elmwood Road.
Elmwood Road273 m
Turn left onto Birchill Gardens.
Birchill Gardens200 m
Turn left onto Briar Hill Gardens.
Briar Hill Gardens43 m
Turn right onto Broomhill Gardens.
Broomhill Gardens72 m
Turn left onto Hart Avenue.
Hart Avenue63 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Hart Avenue.
Hart Avenue63 m
Turn left onto Broomhill Gardens.
Broomhill Gardens16 m
Turn left onto Hart Lane.
Hart Lane1.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A179/Marina Way.
101 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Marina Way.
A179428 m
Enter Asda Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A179/Marina Way.
Asda Roundabout149 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Marina Way.
A179424 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A179/Marina Way.
54 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Marina Way.
A179690 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit towards Sunderland/Durham.
10 m
Exit the roundabout towards Sunderland/Durham.
A179746 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A179/Easington Road.
58 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 2nd exit onto A179/Powlett Road.
53 m
Exit the roundabout onto A179/Powlett Road.
A179277 m
Turn right to stay on Powlett Road.
Powlett Road16 m
Turn left to stay on Powlett Road.
Powlett Road65 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Powlett Road.
Powlett Road65 m
Make a right U-turn at Powlett Road onto A179/Powlett Road.
A179421 m
Move right to stay on A179/Powlett Road.
A17971 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A179/Marina Way.
85 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 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.
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 Asda Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 6.5 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.
Cleveland College of Art and Design
Continue to Cleveland College of Art and Design.
Victoria Road
Continue to Victoria Road.
Saint Paul
Continue to Saint Paul.
Mulgrave Ave
Continue to Mulgrave Ave.
Charlies
Continue to Charlies.
West End Social Club
Continue to West End Social Club.
St Luke's Church
Continue to St Luke's Church.
Serpentine Gardens
Continue to Serpentine Gardens.
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Continue to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School.
Nursery
Continue to Nursery.
home bakery
Continue to home bakery.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Asda Roundabout
Continue to Asda Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
lifestyle express
Continue to lifestyle express.
Spar
Continue to Spar.
Merry-Go-Round
Continue to Merry-Go-Round.
St Thomas More RC Church
Continue to St Thomas More RC Church.
Ward Jackson
Continue to Ward Jackson.
Hartlepool Interchange
Finish back near Hartlepool Interchange, 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 16.9 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Hartlepool test centre, not an official DVSA route.