Near Hexham test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts, 18 turns and 1 signalled junction across 24 navigation steps.
This is an independent 26.5 km practice loop near Hexham test centre, taking roughly 30 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 Bridge End Roundabout and Stagshaw Road Interchange. 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 pubs, stations, churches and named junctions, 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 Hexham 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 76-step drive on real, named roads (about 26.6 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive south.
46 m
Turn left.
32 m
Turn right onto Haugh Lane Industrial Estate.
Haugh Lane Industrial Estate72 m
Turn right onto Haugh Lane.
Haugh Lane223 m
Turn left onto Alexander Place.
Alexander Place363 m
Move right onto Church Row.
Church Row78 m
Move right onto Beaumont Street.
Beaumont Street223 m
Turn left onto Hencotes/B6305. Continue on B6305.
B6305417 m
Turn left onto Priestpopple/A6079.
Priestpopple175 m
Turn left onto Station Road/A6079.
Station Road362 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Alemouth Road.
1 m
Exit the roundabout onto Alemouth Road.
Alemouth Road197 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Alemouth Road.
45 m
Exit the roundabout onto Alemouth Road.
Alemouth Road199 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A6079.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6079.
A6079166 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Rotary Way/A6079.
17 m
Exit the roundabout onto Rotary Way/A6079.
Rotary Way629 m
Enter Bridge End Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A69.
Bridge End Roundabout181 m
Exit the roundabout onto A69/E 18.
A694.0 km
Take the Stagshaw Road Interchange exit.
176 m
Take the Stagshaw Road Interchange ramp on the right.
212 m
Turn right onto A68.
A68103 m
Enter Stagshaw Road Interchange and take the 2nd exit onto A69.
Stagshaw Road Interchange125 m
Exit the roundabout onto A69/E 18.
A697.6 km
Keep left to take B6531.
B653170 m
Turn left to stay on B6531.
B65311.7 km
Turn right onto Shaws Park.
Shaws Park25 m
Turn right to stay on Shaws Park.
Shaws Park220 m
Turn left to stay on Shaws Park.
Shaws Park139 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Shaws Park.
Shaws Park139 m
Turn right to stay on Shaws Park.
Shaws Park220 m
Turn left to stay on Shaws Park.
Shaws Park25 m
Turn right onto B6531.
B6531439 m
Turn right onto Woodbine Terrace.
Woodbine Terrace126 m
Turn left onto High Burswell.
High Burswell175 m
Turn left onto Hellpool Lane.
Hellpool Lane77 m
Turn right.
35 m
Turn right.
166 m
Turn right onto Whetstone Bridge Road.
Whetstone Bridge Road48 m
Turn right onto Hellpool Lane.
Hellpool Lane60 m
Keep right to stay on Hellpool Lane.
Hellpool Lane139 m
Move left onto Leazes Terrace.
Leazes Terrace71 m
Turn left onto Burnland Terrace/B6531.
Burnland Terrace133 m
Keep left to stay on B6531.
B6531200 m
Turn left onto Leazes Lane.
Leazes Lane48 m
Turn left onto Burswell Villas.
Burswell Villas313 m
Turn right onto Hellpool Lane.
Hellpool Lane95 m
Turn left onto Whetstone Bridge Road.
Whetstone Bridge Road273 m
Turn right onto Allendale Road/B6305.
Allendale Road341 m
Turn left.
58 m
Make a right U-turn.
58 m
Turn right.
155 m
Turn left onto Allendale Road/B6305.
Allendale Road303 m
Turn right onto Causey Hill Road.
Causey Hill Road426 m
Turn right onto Bishopton Way.
Bishopton Way45 m
Keep left to stay on Bishopton Way.
Bishopton Way555 m
Turn left onto Dickson Drive.
Dickson Drive425 m
Turn right onto Bishopton Way.
Bishopton Way540 m
Turn left onto Causey Hill Road.
Causey Hill Road155 m
Turn right onto Saint Pauls Road.
Saint Pauls Road280 m
Turn left onto Saint Lukes Road.
Saint Lukes Road125 m
Turn left onto St Marks Road.
St Marks Road68 m
Move right onto Longlands.
Longlands327 m
Turn right onto Hencotes/B6305. Continue on B6305.
B6305657 m
Turn right onto Argyle Terrace.
Argyle Terrace97 m
Turn left.
82 m
Turn left onto Maiden's Walk.
Maiden's Walk54 m
Turn left onto Corbridge Road/A695.
Corbridge Road40 m
Move left onto Priestpopple/B6305.
Priestpopple432 m
Turn right onto Beaumont Street.
Beaumont Street225 m
Move left onto Church Row.
Church Row78 m
Move left onto Market Street.
Market Street44 m
Keep left to stay on Market Street.
Market Street319 m
Turn right onto Haugh Lane.
Haugh Lane158 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Hexham · Route 4 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
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Bridge End Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 11.7 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, 60, 70 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.
Forum
Start near Forum.
Hexham Bus Station
Continue to Hexham Bus Station.
Salvation Army
Continue to Salvation Army.
Bridge End Roundabout
Continue to Bridge End Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Bristol Street Motors
Continue to Bristol Street Motors.
KwikFit
Continue to KwikFit.
Stagshaw Road Interchange
Continue to Stagshaw Road Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Co-operative Food
Continue to Co-operative Food.
West End Methodist Church
Continue to West End Methodist Church.
Hexham Middle School
Continue to Hexham Middle School.
Hydro
Continue to Hydro.
St Aidan's URC Church
Continue to St Aidan's URC Church.
Total Beauty Hexham
Continue to Total Beauty Hexham.
Violin Shop
Continue to Violin Shop.
Hexham Abbey
Continue to Hexham Abbey.
Hexham Community Church
Continue to Hexham Community Church.
Trinity Methodist Church
Continue to Trinity Methodist Church.
Hallmark
Continue to Hallmark.
Pure Plants
Continue to Pure Plants.
Snap! Records
Finish back near Snap! Records, completing the loop.
3 roundabouts · 21 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 18 turns · 1 set of lights
6 roundabouts · 14 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 17 turns · 1 set of lights
This route is 26.5 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Hexham test centre, not an official DVSA route.