Near Launceston test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts and 20 turns across 29 navigation steps.
This is an independent 27.5 km practice route near Launceston 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.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, national-speed roads, 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 shops, pubs, churches and schools, 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 Launceston 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 129-step drive on real, named roads (about 27.8 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive north.
70 m
Turn right.
14 m
Turn left onto B3362.
B3362165 m
Turn right onto A388.
A3881.4 km
Keep left to stay on A388.
A388249 m
Keep right to stay on A388.
A388107 m
Keep right to stay on A388.
A38865 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A388.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto A388.
A38845 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A30.
A301.2 km
Take the Pennygillam Junction exit onto A388.
399 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Western Road/A388.
93 m
Exit the roundabout onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road65 m
Keep straight to stay on Western Road/A388.
Western Road725 m
Make a sharp left onto Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill131 m
Turn left onto Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane36 m
Keep left to stay on Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane54 m
Make a sharp left onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road19 m
Turn right onto Hendra Vale.
Hendra Vale216 m
Move right to stay on Hendra Vale.
Hendra Vale776 m
Turn left onto Hendra Vale.
Hendra Vale157 m
Turn right onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road180 m
Make a sharp left onto Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill131 m
Turn left onto Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane36 m
Keep left to stay on Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane54 m
Move right onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road591 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Pennygillam Way.
98 m
Exit the roundabout onto Pennygillam Way.
Pennygillam Way1.3 km
Make a right U-turn to stay on Pennygillam Way.
Pennygillam Way690 m
Turn right onto Bangors Road.
Bangors Road82 m
Turn right to stay on Bangors Road.
Bangors Road118 m
Turn left.
53 m
Keep right at the fork.
36 m
Turn right onto Bangors Road.
Bangors Road184 m
Turn left to stay on Bangors Road.
Bangors Road82 m
Turn left onto Pennygillam Way.
Pennygillam Way690 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Pennygillam Way.
Pennygillam Way1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Western Road/A388.
8 m
Exit the roundabout onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road791 m
Make a sharp left onto Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill130 m
Turn left onto Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane36 m
Keep left to stay on Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane54 m
Move right onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road215 m
Turn right onto St Johns Road.
St Johns Road127 m
Keep right to stay on St Johns Road.
St Johns Road39 m
Turn left to stay on St Johns Road.
St Johns Road97 m
Turn right to stay on St Johns Road.
St Johns Road95 m
Turn right to stay on St Johns Road.
St Johns Road46 m
Move right to stay on St Johns Road.
St Johns Road299 m
Turn left onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road215 m
Move left onto Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane91 m
Turn left onto Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill153 m
Turn right onto Chapel Park.
Chapel Park65 m
Keep left to stay on Chapel Park.
Chapel Park14 m
Move left to stay on Chapel Park.
Chapel Park186 m
Turn left onto Upper Chapel.
Upper Chapel253 m
Turn left onto Meadowside.
Meadowside488 m
Turn left onto Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill20 m
Turn right onto Chapel Park.
Chapel Park65 m
Keep left to stay on Chapel Park.
Chapel Park14 m
Move left to stay on Chapel Park.
Chapel Park186 m
Turn left onto Upper Chapel.
Upper Chapel43 m
Turn left onto Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill67 m
Move left to stay on Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill104 m
Keep right to stay on Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill215 m
Turn right onto Carboth Lane.
Carboth Lane91 m
Make a sharp left onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road275 m
Keep straight to stay on Western Road/A388.
Western Road110 m
Keep left to stay on A388.
A388448 m
Turn right onto Wooda Road/A388.
Wooda Road91 m
Turn right onto Tower Street.
Tower Street16 m
Move left to stay on Tower Street.
Tower Street181 m
Move right.
36 m
Turn right.
98 m
Turn right onto Castle Street.
Castle Street123 m
Turn left onto Tower Street.
Tower Street85 m
Turn right onto Dockacre Road/A388.
Dockacre Road448 m
Turn left onto Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road67 m
Keep left to stay on Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road85 m
Turn right to stay on Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road7 m
Turn right onto Exeter Street.
Exeter Street195 m
Turn right onto Southgate Place.
Southgate Place19 m
Turn right onto Angel Hill.
Angel Hill82 m
Turn right onto Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road152 m
Turn left to stay on A388.
A388597 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Kensey Valley Meadow.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kensey Valley Meadow.
Kensey Valley Meadow64 m
Move left to stay on Kensey Valley Meadow.
Kensey Valley Meadow94 m
Turn right to stay on Kensey Valley Meadow.
Kensey Valley Meadow39 m
Turn left onto Kensey Court.
Kensey Court84 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Kensey Court.
Kensey Court84 m
Turn right onto Kensey Valley Meadow.
Kensey Valley Meadow38 m
Turn left to stay on Kensey Valley Meadow.
Kensey Valley Meadow159 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A388.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A388.
A388597 m
Turn left onto Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road7 m
Turn left to stay on Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road810 m
Move right onto Hurdon Road.
Hurdon Road634 m
Turn right onto Link Road.
Link Road87 m
Keep left to stay on Link Road.
Link Road858 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Western Road/A388.
63 m
Exit the roundabout onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road65 m
Keep straight to stay on Western Road/A388.
Western Road133 m
Turn right to take the ramp towards Okehampton/Callington/Liskeard.
A30905 m
Take the Tavistock Road Junction exit onto A388 towards Plymouth/Callington/Liskeard/Tavistock.
110 m
Take the A388 ramp on the right towards Plymouth/Callington/Liskeard/Tavistock.
143 m
Keep right at the fork.
88 m
Turn left onto Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road210 m
Turn right to stay on Tavistock Road/A388.
Tavistock Road810 m
Turn left onto Exeter Street.
Exeter Street195 m
Turn right onto Southgate Place.
Southgate Place15 m
Turn left onto Madford Lane.
Madford Lane151 m
Turn left onto Windmill Hill.
Windmill Hill14 m
Turn left onto Bounsall's Lane.
Bounsall's Lane165 m
Turn left.
43 m
Make a right U-turn.
43 m
Turn right onto Bounsall's Lane.
Bounsall's Lane165 m
Turn left onto Windmill Hill.
Windmill Hill600 m
Turn right.
50 m
Turn right onto Dunheved Road.
Dunheved Road659 m
Move right onto Westgate Street.
Westgate Street114 m
Turn left onto Dockey.
Dockey78 m
Turn left.
11 m
Move left onto Western Road/A388.
Western Road91 m
Keep right to stay on Western Road/A388.
Western Road106 m
Keep straight to stay on Western Road/A388.
Western Road107 m
Keep left to stay on Western Road/A388.
Western Road67 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Launceston · Route 5 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.
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 4.0 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 (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.
Topps Tiles
Start near Topps Tiles.
Asda Express
Continue to Asda Express.
Greggs
Continue to Greggs.
Martin's Cash + Carry
Continue to Martin's Cash + Carry.
Philip Warren
Continue to Philip Warren.
British Wool
Continue to British Wool.
Toolstation
Continue to Toolstation.
Bell Inn
Continue to Bell Inn.
Launceston Central Methodist Church
Continue to Launceston Central Methodist Church.
Francine's
Continue to Francine's.
Legacy.of.Destiny
Continue to Legacy.of.Destiny.
Newmarket Inn
Continue to Newmarket Inn.
St Luke's
Continue to St Luke's.
Lidl
Continue to Lidl.
M&S Foodhall
Continue to M&S Foodhall.
Launceston Arms
Continue to Launceston Arms.
Windmill Hill Academy
Continue to Windmill Hill Academy.
St Mary's Vicarage
Continue to St Mary's Vicarage.
Blades
Continue to Blades.
Westgate Inn
Finish back near Westgate Inn, completing the loop.
5 roundabouts · 20 turns · 2 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 23 turns
7 roundabouts · 19 turns · 1 set of lights
8 roundabouts · 17 turns
This route is 27.5 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Launceston test centre, not an official DVSA route.