Near Jarrow test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 28 roundabouts and 18 turns across 54 navigation steps.
This is an independent 22.8 km practice loop near Jarrow test centre, taking roughly 25 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 Pallion New Road, Abingdon Way and Downhill Lane 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 independent driving 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, named junctions, churches and stations, 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 Jarrow 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:
The full 54-step drive on real, named roads (about 22.8 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west.
29 m
Turn right.
11 m
Turn right onto Riverbank Road.
Riverbank Road71 m
Turn right onto Castletown Way.
Castletown Way238 m
Turn left onto Wessington Way/A1290.
Wessington Way1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit towards City Centre.
267 m
Exit the roundabout towards City Centre.
Camden Street32 m
Turn left onto Queen Alexandra Bridge/B1539. Continue on B1539.
B1539633 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Pallion New Road.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto Pallion New Road.
Pallion New Road712 m
Turn left onto Pallion Subway.
Pallion Subway196 m
Move right onto Merle Terrace.
Merle Terrace204 m
Turn left onto Neville Road.
Neville Road156 m
Move right onto Rutland Street.
Rutland Street508 m
Turn left onto Hylton Road.
Hylton Road938 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A1231/Silksworth Row.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1231/Silksworth Row.
A1231171 m
Enter Saint Michael's Way and take the 1st exit onto A183/St. Mary's Boulevard.
Saint Michael's Way2 m
Exit the roundabout onto A183/St. Mary's Boulevard.
A183525 m
Keep left towards South Shields.
A10183.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A184.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto A184.
A1843.3 km
Turn right onto Bridle Path.
Bridle Path625 m
Turn left onto New Road/B1298.
New Road617 m
Turn left.
75 m
Turn right.
138 m
Turn left.
21 m
Turn left onto New Road/B1298. Continue on B1298.
B1298849 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Henley Way/B1298.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Henley Way/B1298.
Henley Way319 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Abingdon Way/B1298.
1 m
Exit the roundabout onto Abingdon Way/B1298.
Abingdon Way147 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Abingdon Way/B1298.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Abingdon Way/B1298.
Abingdon Way481 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Newcastle Road/A184.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto Newcastle Road/A184.
Newcastle Road414 m
Enter Testo's Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A19.
Testo's Roundabout9 m
Exit the roundabout onto A19.
A19208 m
Keep right to stay on A19.
A19181 m
Keep left to stay on A19.
A192.9 km
Take the Hylton Grange Interchange exit onto A1231 towards Sunderland/Gateshead.
A1231393 m
Enter Hylton Grange Interchange and take the 1st exit towards Sunderland.
Hylton Grange Interchange13 m
Exit the roundabout towards Sunderland.
A1231388 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A1231/Wessington Way.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1231/Wessington Way.
A1231698 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A1231/Wessington Way.
41 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1231/Wessington Way.
A1231765 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A1231/Wessington Way.
49 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1231/Wessington Way.
A1231536 m
Turn left onto Castletown Way.
Castletown Way246 m
Turn left onto Riverbank Road.
Riverbank Road71 m
Turn left.
11 m
Turn left.
29 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Jarrow · School-zone practice loop 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.
Local junctions
Take each junction on its merits, good observation, clear signalling and the right speed on approach. Rehearse the sequence so nothing surprises you on the day.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Times Inn
Start near Times Inn.
Pallion New Road
Continue to Pallion New Road, taking the junction with good observation.
St Luke's, Pallion
Continue to St Luke's, Pallion.
City Life Church
Continue to City Life Church.
Millfield
Continue to Millfield.
Oddies
Continue to Oddies.
Ship Isis
Continue to Ship Isis.
Keel Edge
Continue to Keel Edge.
St Peter's
Continue to St Peter's.
Hebron Church
Continue to Hebron Church.
Vision Express
Continue to Vision Express.
New Windmill House
Continue to New Windmill House.
Monkwearmouth Spiritualist Church
Continue to Monkwearmouth Spiritualist Church.
St George's And The Martyr
Continue to St George's And The Martyr.
East Boldon Methodist Church
Continue to East Boldon Methodist Church.
Boldon School
Continue to Boldon School.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Continue to Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Abingdon Way
Continue to Abingdon Way, taking the junction with good observation.
Downhill Lane Interchange
Continue to Downhill Lane Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Brewers Fayre
Finish back near Brewers Fayre, completing the loop.
48 roundabouts · 12 turns
20 roundabouts · 7 turns
16 roundabouts · 33 turns
24 roundabouts · 25 turns
This route is 22.8 km and takes about 25 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Jarrow test centre, not an official DVSA route.