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Practice route
ModerateLoop

Leeds (Harehills) · Residential practice loop

Near Leeds (Harehills) test centre

11.2 km
Distance
17 min
Duration
Moderate
Difficulty
45
Manoeuvres
Difficulty: Demanding

Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 14 roundabouts and 19 turns across 40 navigation steps.

How this route is examined

This is an independent 11.2 km practice loop near Leeds (Harehills) test centre, taking roughly 17 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 York Road and Oak Tree Drive. 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. 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, shops, named junctions 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 Leeds (Harehills) 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.

Manoeuvre breakdown

What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.

19
Left turns
0
Right turns
14
Roundabouts
0
Traffic lights
40
Total steps

Skills & features

20
Landmarks

This route helps you practise:

  • Independent driving

Turn-by-turn directions

The full 40-step drive on real, named roads (about 11.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.

  1. Depart:

    Drive northwest on Harehills Lane/B6159.

    Harehills Lane38 m

  2. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Lupton Avenue.

    Lupton Avenue817 m

  3. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto York Road.

    43 m

  4. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto York Road.

    York Road107 m

  5. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Ivy Street.

    35 m

  6. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Ivy Street.

    Ivy Street320 m

  7. Turn right:

    Move right onto East Park Parade.

    East Park Parade347 m

  8. Turn right:

    Turn right onto East Park View.

    East Park View221 m

  9. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Charlton Street.

    Charlton Street98 m

  10. Turn right:

    Turn right to stay on Charlton Street.

    Charlton Street19 m

  11. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Charlton Grove.

    Charlton Grove97 m

  12. Turn left:

    Turn left onto East Park View.

    East Park View144 m

  13. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Temple View Grove.

    Temple View Grove34 m

  14. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Temple View Road.

    Temple View Road225 m

  15. Turn left:

    Turn left onto A64/York Road. Continue on A64.

    A641.0 km

  16. Turn left:

    Turn left onto A61/Regent Street.

    A61222 m

  17. Keep right:

    Keep right to stay on A61/Regent Street.

    A6194 m

  18. Roundabout:

    Enter Eastgate and take the 5th exit onto A61/Regent Street.

    Eastgate116 m

  19. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A61/Regent Street.

    A61689 m

  20. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Cross Stamford Street.

    46 m

  21. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Cross Stamford Street.

    Cross Stamford Street956 m

  22. Turn right:

    Move right onto Roundhay Road/A58. Continue on A58.

    A582.3 km

  23. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Easterly Road/A58.

    117 m

  24. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Easterly Road/A58.

    Easterly Road432 m

  25. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Hetton Road.

    Hetton Road397 m

  26. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Amberton Road.

    Amberton Road289 m

  27. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Oaklands Street.

    Oaklands Street34 m

  28. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Oaklands Crescent.

    Oaklands Crescent42 m

  29. Turn left:

    Turn left to stay on Oaklands Crescent.

    Oaklands Crescent45 m

  30. Turn left:

    Turn left to stay on Oaklands Crescent.

    Oaklands Crescent47 m

  31. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Oaklands Street.

    Oaklands Street87 m

  32. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Amberton Road.

    Amberton Road89 m

  33. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Oak Tree Drive.

    61 m

  34. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Oak Tree Drive.

    Oak Tree Drive605 m

  35. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Foundry Approach.

    44 m

  36. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Foundry Approach.

    Foundry Approach115 m

  37. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Harehills Park Terrace.

    Harehills Park Terrace97 m

  38. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Coldcotes Avenue.

    Coldcotes Avenue378 m

  39. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Harehills Lane/B6159.

    Harehills Lane219 m

  40. Arrive:

    You have arrived at your destination.

Directions for the Leeds (Harehills) · Residential practice loop loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.

Local roads & landmarks

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.

Junctions & roundabouts

Decide your lane and exit on the approach to each of these, get set up early.

  • York Road
  • Oak Tree Drive

Stations

Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.

  • York Road Berking Avenue
  • York Road Pontefract Lane
  • York Road Marsh Lane
  • Byron Street
  • Foundry Approach Oak Tree Drive

Schools

Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.

  • Leeds City College
  • Rosewood Nursery

Churches

Useful navigation anchors on the loop.

  • Al-Towbah Islamic Centre
  • New Testament Church of God
  • St. Cyprian With St. James Community Hall

Parks & green space

Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.

  • Circle of Colour
  • Garden Plots - Back Coldcotes Avenue

Pubs

Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.

  • Brown Hare

Shops & parades

Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.

  • Leeds Garden
  • Subway
  • Emmaus
  • Kwik Fit

Watch out for

  • 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.

Drive it: landmark by landmark

Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.

  1. Brown Hare

    Start near Brown Hare.

  2. Leeds Garden

    Continue to Leeds Garden.

  3. York Road

    Continue to York Road, taking the junction with good observation.

  4. Subway

    Continue to Subway.

  5. York Road Berking Avenue

    Continue to York Road Berking Avenue.

  6. York Road Pontefract Lane

    Continue to York Road Pontefract Lane.

  7. York Road Marsh Lane

    Continue to York Road Marsh Lane.

  8. Emmaus

    Continue to Emmaus.

  9. Leeds City College

    Continue to Leeds City College.

  10. Byron Street

    Continue to Byron Street.

  11. Kwik Fit

    Continue to Kwik Fit.

  12. Leeds Tiles and Bathrooms

    Continue to Leeds Tiles and Bathrooms.

  13. Rosewood Nursery

    Continue to Rosewood Nursery.

  14. Al-Towbah Islamic Centre

    Continue to Al-Towbah Islamic Centre.

  15. New Testament Church of God

    Continue to New Testament Church of God.

  16. Circle of Colour

    Continue to Circle of Colour.

  17. Oak Tree Drive

    Continue to Oak Tree Drive, taking the junction with good observation.

  18. Foundry Approach Oak Tree Drive

    Continue to Foundry Approach Oak Tree Drive.

  19. St. Cyprian With St. James Community Hall

    Continue to St. Cyprian With St. James Community Hall.

  20. Garden Plots - Back Coldcotes Avenue

    Finish back near Garden Plots - Back Coldcotes Avenue, completing the loop.

More routes at Leeds (Harehills) test centre

Route FAQs

This route is 11.2 km and takes about 17 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Leeds (Harehills) test centre, not an official DVSA route.