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Practice route
ChallengingLoop

Leicester · Route 16

Near Leicester test centre

30.9 km
Distance
35 min
Duration
Challenging
Difficulty
19
Manoeuvres
Difficulty: Moderate

Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 12 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 23 navigation steps.

How this route is examined

This is an independent 30.9 km practice loop near Leicester test centre, taking roughly 35 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, 20 mph zones, changing speed limits, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads, 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 schools, pubs, churches and shops, 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 Leicester 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.

5
Left turns
7
Right turns
5
Roundabouts
5
Traffic lights
23
Total steps

Skills & features

8
Roundabouts
6.7 km
Dual carriageway
20, 30, 40 mph
Speed limits
20
Landmarks

This route helps you practise:

  • Multiple roundabouts
  • Dual-carriageway joins
  • 20 mph zones
  • Changing speed limits
  • Residential manoeuvres
  • Busy A-roads
  • Independent driving
  • Sustained concentration

Road mix

  • Minor roads 7.8 km
  • Trunk roads 6.7 km
  • A-roads 6.7 km
  • Residential 5.4 km
  • B-roads 3.2 km
  • Unclassified 0.4 km
  • service_other 0.1 km

Turn-by-turn directions

The full 70-step drive on real, named roads (about 30.9 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.

  1. Depart:

    Drive east.

    10 m

  2. Turn right:

    Turn right.

    39 m

  3. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Tigers Road.

    Tigers Road41 m

  4. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Saffron Road/B5366.

    Saffron Road287 m

  5. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Gloucester Crescent.

    Gloucester Crescent1.5 km

  6. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Stonesby Avenue/B5418. Continue on B5418.

    B5418741 m

  7. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Rolleston Road.

    Rolleston Road12 m

  8. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Aylestone Lane.

    Aylestone Lane56 m

  9. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Aylestone Road.

    Aylestone Road29 m

  10. Turn right:

    Turn right to stay on Aylestone Road.

    Aylestone Road2 m

  11. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Aylestone Road.

    Aylestone Road2 m

  12. Turn left:

    Turn left to stay on Aylestone Road.

    Aylestone Road29 m

  13. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Aylestone Lane.

    Aylestone Lane56 m

  14. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Rolleston Road.

    Rolleston Road12 m

  15. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Aylestone Lane/B5418.

    Aylestone Lane469 m

  16. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Shackerdale Road.

    Shackerdale Road533 m

  17. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Ramsbury Road.

    Ramsbury Road175 m

  18. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Heddington Way.

    Heddington Way135 m

  19. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Shackerdale Road.

    Shackerdale Road154 m

  20. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Croft Drive.

    Croft Drive120 m

  21. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Bradgate Drive.

    Bradgate Drive282 m

  22. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Roehampton Drive.

    Roehampton Drive871 m

  23. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Baldwin Road.

    Baldwin Road119 m

  24. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Roehampton Drive.

    Roehampton Drive123 m

  25. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Shackerdale Road.

    Shackerdale Road269 m

  26. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Croft Drive.

    Croft Drive120 m

  27. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Bradgate Drive.

    Bradgate Drive282 m

  28. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Roehampton Drive.

    Roehampton Drive123 m

  29. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Shackerdale Road.

    Shackerdale Road241 m

  30. Turn left:

    Turn left onto A563/Asquith Way.

    A563623 m

  31. Roundabout:

    Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A563/Attlee Way.

    Windley Road Roundabout30 m

  32. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A563/Attlee Way.

    A563820 m

  33. Roundabout:

    Enter Pork Pie Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A563/Glenhills Way.

    Pork Pie Roundabout48 m

  34. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A563/Glenhills Way.

    A5631.2 km

  35. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Lutterworth Road/A426. Continue on A426.

    A4262.0 km

  36. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Leicester Road.

    2 m

  37. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Leicester Road.

    Leicester Road195 m

  38. Turn left:

    Move left onto Sycamore Street.

    Sycamore Street810 m

  39. Turn right:

    Move right onto Winchester Road.

    Winchester Road67 m

  40. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Western Drive.

    Western Drive403 m

  41. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Lutterworth Road.

    Lutterworth Road1.0 km

  42. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Leicester Road/A426.

    24 m

  43. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Leicester Road/A426. Continue on A426.

    A4263.9 km

  44. Turn right:

    Move right onto Grace Road.

    Grace Road137 m

  45. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Knighton Lane.

    Knighton Lane468 m

  46. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Saffron Lane/B5366.

    Saffron Lane202 m

  47. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Knighton Fields Road West.

    Knighton Fields Road West555 m

  48. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Kingsley Street.

    Kingsley Street446 m

  49. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Welford Road/A5199.

    Welford Road60 m

  50. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Clarendon Park Road.

    Clarendon Park Road1.1 km

  51. Turn left:

    Turn left onto London Road/A6.

    London Road35 m

  52. Turn right:

    Turn right onto St. Johns Road.

    St. Johns Road214 m

  53. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Holmfield Road.

    Holmfield Road201 m

  54. Turn left:

    Turn left onto London Road/A6.

    London Road2.0 km

  55. Roundabout:

    Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A563.

    87 m

  56. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A563.

    A5632.6 km

  57. Roundabout:

    Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Windley Road.

    Windley Road Roundabout56 m

  58. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Windley Road.

    Windley Road256 m

  59. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Meadow Gardens.

    Meadow Gardens105 m

  60. Turn left:

    Turn left to stay on Meadow Gardens.

    Meadow Gardens210 m

  61. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Windley Road.

    Windley Road75 m

  62. Roundabout:

    Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Windley Road.

    Windley Road Roundabout35 m

  63. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Windley Road.

    Windley Road408 m

  64. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Stonesby Avenue/B5418.

    Stonesby Avenue650 m

  65. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Cottagers Close.

    Cottagers Close209 m

  66. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Stonesby Avenue/B5418.

    Stonesby Avenue807 m

  67. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Glenborne Road.

    Glenborne Road1.5 km

  68. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Saffron Road/B5366.

    Saffron Road287 m

  69. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Tigers Road.

    Tigers Road100 m

  70. Arrive:

    You have arrived at your destination.

Directions for the Leicester · Route 16 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.

Schools

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

  • Busy Bees Leicester South Wigston
  • Granby Primary School
  • Knighton Mead Primary Academy

Churches

Useful navigation anchors on the loop.

  • Chrisstadelphian Hall
  • United Reform Church
  • Blaby Methodist Church
  • St Edward's
  • Guru Amar Das Gurdwara

Pubs

Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.

  • Nautical William
  • Aberdale
  • Fox & Tiger

Shops & parades

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

  • S&D Enterprise
  • Curry Junction
  • Shell Select
  • Olympus Fish Bar

Watch out for

  • 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 6.7 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, 40 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.

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. Busy Bees Leicester South Wigston

    Start near Busy Bees Leicester South Wigston.

  2. Nautical William

    Continue to Nautical William.

  3. Aberdale

    Continue to Aberdale.

  4. Chrisstadelphian Hall

    Continue to Chrisstadelphian Hall.

  5. United Reform Church

    Continue to United Reform Church.

  6. S&D Enterprise

    Continue to S&D Enterprise.

  7. Blaby Methodist Church

    Continue to Blaby Methodist Church.

  8. Fox & Tiger

    Continue to Fox & Tiger.

  9. Curry Junction

    Continue to Curry Junction.

  10. Granby Primary School

    Continue to Granby Primary School.

  11. St Edward's

    Continue to St Edward's.

  12. Knighton Mead Primary Academy

    Continue to Knighton Mead Primary Academy.

  13. Guru Amar Das Gurdwara

    Continue to Guru Amar Das Gurdwara.

  14. Leicester Chinese Christian Church

    Continue to Leicester Chinese Christian Church.

  15. St John the Baptist

    Continue to St John the Baptist.

  16. Stoneygate Baptist Church

    Continue to Stoneygate Baptist Church.

  17. Shell Select

    Continue to Shell Select.

  18. Asquith Surgery

    Continue to Asquith Surgery.

  19. Christ Gospel Church

    Continue to Christ Gospel Church.

  20. Olympus Fish Bar

    Finish back near Olympus Fish Bar, completing the loop.

More routes at Leicester test centre

Route FAQs

This route is 30.9 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Leicester test centre, not an official DVSA route.