Near Horsforth test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts, 22 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 33 navigation steps.
This is an independent 38.4 km practice loop near Horsforth 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.
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 stations, shops, 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 Horsforth 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 133-step drive on real, named roads (about 39.4 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southwest.
46 m
Turn right onto Low Lane.
Low Lane863 m
Turn left onto Lister Hill.
Lister Hill210 m
Turn left onto Long Row.
Long Row326 m
Keep straight to stay on Long Row.
Long Row89 m
Move right onto Church Avenue.
Church Avenue159 m
Keep left to stay on Church Avenue.
Church Avenue19 m
Turn right onto St Margarets Avenue.
St Margarets Avenue514 m
Turn right onto St Margarets Road.
St Margarets Road121 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Station Road.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Station Road.
Station Road312 m
Move left onto Tinshill Road.
Tinshill Road57 m
Turn right onto Tinshill Lane.
Tinshill Lane1.3 km
Turn right onto Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road855 m
Make a right U-turn at Iveson Drive to stay on Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road241 m
Turn left onto Laith Road.
Laith Road226 m
Turn left onto Iveson Drive.
Iveson Drive168 m
Turn left onto Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road847 m
Keep left to stay on Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road475 m
Keep left to stay on Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road65 m
Turn right onto Holtdale Approach.
Holtdale Approach75 m
Turn right onto Holtdale Drive.
Holtdale Drive53 m
Turn right onto Holtdale Close.
Holtdale Close92 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Holtdale Close.
Holtdale Close92 m
Turn left onto Holtdale Drive.
Holtdale Drive53 m
Turn left onto Holtdale Approach.
Holtdale Approach75 m
Turn right onto Otley Old Road.
Otley Old Road167 m
Turn right onto Holt Lane.
Holt Lane775 m
Turn right onto Holt Park Road.
Holt Park Road48 m
Turn right onto Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent53 m
Keep left to stay on Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent30 m
Turn left to stay on Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent188 m
Turn left onto Holt Park Grove.
Holt Park Grove61 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Holt Park Grove.
Holt Park Grove61 m
Turn left onto Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent267 m
Turn right onto Holt Park Road.
Holt Park Road367 m
Move left onto Holt Road.
Holt Road408 m
Turn left onto Holt Park Approach.
Holt Park Approach415 m
Turn right onto Holt Park Road.
Holt Park Road52 m
Turn left onto Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent53 m
Keep left to stay on Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent30 m
Turn left to stay on Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent188 m
Turn left onto Holt Park Grove.
Holt Park Grove61 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Holt Park Grove.
Holt Park Grove61 m
Turn left onto Holt Park Crescent.
Holt Park Crescent267 m
Turn right onto Holt Park Road.
Holt Park Road368 m
Move left onto Holt Road.
Holt Road180 m
Turn right onto Holt Drive.
Holt Drive133 m
Turn left.
46 m
Make a right U-turn.
46 m
Turn right onto Holt Drive.
Holt Drive133 m
Turn left onto Holt Road.
Holt Road180 m
Move right onto Holt Park Road.
Holt Park Road316 m
Turn right onto Holt Park Approach.
Holt Park Approach416 m
Turn left onto Holt Road.
Holt Road72 m
Move right onto Holt Lane.
Holt Lane510 m
Turn right onto A660/Otley Road.
A6602.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
90 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
A61201.1 km
Keep right to stay on A6120.
A6120626 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Low Lane.
62 m
Exit the roundabout onto Low Lane.
Low Lane83 m
Turn left onto Broadgate Lane.
Broadgate Lane1.0 km
Keep right to take North Broadgate Lane.
North Broadgate Lane255 m
Turn left onto Church Avenue.
Church Avenue72 m
Keep left to stay on Church Avenue.
Church Avenue192 m
Turn right onto Church Lane.
Church Lane233 m
Turn right onto Hall Park Avenue.
Hall Park Avenue44 m
Turn left onto Hall Park Rise.
Hall Park Rise164 m
Turn left onto Hall Park Avenue.
Hall Park Avenue194 m
Turn right onto Church Road.
Church Road113 m
Keep right to stay on Church Road.
Church Road363 m
Turn left towards Ring Road/Harrogate/Wetherby/York.
A61201.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A6120/Ring Road.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road. Continue on A6120.
A61201.7 km
Enter Lawnswood Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A660/Otley Road.
Lawnswood Roundabout7 m
Exit the roundabout onto A660/Otley Road.
A660425 m
Keep right to stay on A660/Otley Road.
A660860 m
Turn right onto St Helen's Lane.
St Helen's Lane226 m
Turn right onto Adel Lane.
Adel Lane381 m
Keep right to stay on Adel Lane.
Adel Lane247 m
Keep right to stay on Adel Lane.
Adel Lane109 m
Turn right onto Weetwood Lane.
Weetwood Lane111 m
Turn right onto A6120/Ring Road Weetwood.
A6120889 m
Enter Lawnswood Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A660/Otley Road.
Lawnswood Roundabout16 m
Exit the roundabout onto A660/Otley Road.
A660283 m
Turn right onto Weetwood Road.
Weetwood Road169 m
Keep straight to stay on Weetwood Road.
Weetwood Road39 m
Turn left onto Weetwood Grange Grove.
Weetwood Grange Grove85 m
Turn left onto A660/Otley Road.
A660395 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
6 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
A61201.1 km
Keep right to stay on A6120.
A6120626 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A6120/Ring Road.
97 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road. Continue on A6120.
A61201.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
129 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
A6120297 m
Turn left onto Spen Gardens.
Spen Gardens71 m
Turn right onto Spen Drive.
Spen Drive60 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Spen Drive.
Spen Drive60 m
Turn left onto Spen Gardens.
Spen Gardens71 m
Turn left onto A6120/Ring Road West Park.
A6120134 m
Turn left onto Spen Lane.
Spen Lane96 m
Keep left to stay on Spen Lane.
Spen Lane530 m
Turn right onto Butcher Hill.
Butcher Hill25 m
Keep right to stay on Butcher Hill.
Butcher Hill367 m
Keep right to stay on Butcher Hill.
Butcher Hill331 m
Keep right to stay on Butcher Hill.
Butcher Hill345 m
Turn right to stay on Low Lane.
Low Lane217 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Low Lane.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Low Lane.
Low Lane388 m
Turn left onto Springfield Gardens.
Springfield Gardens152 m
Turn left onto Springfield Mount.
Springfield Mount150 m
Turn right onto Low Lane.
Low Lane334 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Low Lane.
94 m
Exit the roundabout onto Low Lane.
Low Lane1.3 km
Turn left onto Lister Hill.
Lister Hill210 m
Turn left onto Long Row.
Long Row162 m
Turn right onto Stanhope Avenue.
Stanhope Avenue159 m
Turn right onto St Margarets Avenue.
St Margarets Avenue113 m
Turn right onto St Margarets Road.
St Margarets Road121 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Long Row.
83 m
Exit the roundabout onto Long Row.
Long Row215 m
Turn right onto Stanhope Avenue.
Stanhope Avenue159 m
Turn right onto St Margarets Avenue.
St Margarets Avenue113 m
Turn right onto St Margarets Road.
St Margarets Road121 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Long Row.
83 m
Exit the roundabout onto Long Row.
Long Row53 m
Turn left onto Lister Hill.
Lister Hill210 m
Turn right onto Low Lane.
Low Lane216 m
Turn right onto King George Road.
King George Road374 m
Turn left onto Springfield Mount.
Springfield Mount562 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Horsforth · Route 13 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.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around 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 14.5 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, 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.
Horsforth Old Ball
Start near Horsforth Old Ball.
Station Road Wood Street
Continue to Station Road Wood Street.
Tinshill Lane Tinshill Avenue
Continue to Tinshill Lane Tinshill Avenue.
Otley Old Road Iveson Drive
Continue to Otley Old Road Iveson Drive.
Otley Old Road Tinshill Lane
Continue to Otley Old Road Tinshill Lane.
Otley Old Road Tinshill Road
Continue to Otley Old Road Tinshill Road.
Holt Road Holt Rise
Continue to Holt Road Holt Rise.
Holt Lane Chestnut Drive
Continue to Holt Lane Chestnut Drive.
Otley Road Lawnswood
Continue to Otley Road Lawnswood.
Broadgate Off Licence
Continue to Broadgate Off Licence.
St Mary's
Continue to St Mary's.
Green Town Street
Continue to Green Town Street.
Horsforth Garden Shop
Continue to Horsforth Garden Shop.
Otley Road Otley Old Road
Continue to Otley Road Otley Old Road.
Ring Road Weetwood Otley Road
Continue to Ring Road Weetwood Otley Road.
Lawnswood School
Continue to Lawnswood School.
West Park United Reformed Church
Continue to West Park United Reformed Church.
Church of St Andrew the Apostle, Moor Grange
Continue to Church of St Andrew the Apostle, Moor Grange.
Bridge Inn
Continue to Bridge Inn.
King George Road Community Orchard
Finish back near King George Road Community Orchard, completing the loop.
4 roundabouts · 19 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 19 turns · 1 set of lights
2 roundabouts · 21 turns · 1 set of lights
2 roundabouts · 18 turns
This route is 38.4 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Horsforth test centre, not an official DVSA route.