Near Leicester test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 12 roundabouts, 12 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 66.1 km practice loop near Leicester 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.
Along the way you'll meet Windley Road Roundabout. 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 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 churches, shops, named junctions 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 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.
What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.
This route helps you practise:
Road mix
The full 127-step drive on real, named roads (about 66.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive east.
10 m
Turn right.
39 m
Turn right onto Tigers Road.
Tigers Road275 m
Move left.
60 m
Turn left onto Tigers Road.
Tigers Road316 m
Turn left onto Saffron Road/B5366. Continue on B5366.
B53661.1 km
Turn right onto Trenant Road.
Trenant Road368 m
Turn right onto Stonesby Avenue/B5418.
Stonesby Avenue249 m
Turn left onto Barfoot Road.
Barfoot Road366 m
Turn left onto Windley Road.
Windley Road148 m
Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Windley Road.
Windley Road Roundabout37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Windley Road.
Windley Road256 m
Turn left onto Meadow Gardens.
Meadow Gardens105 m
Turn left to stay on Meadow Gardens.
Meadow Gardens210 m
Turn right onto Windley Road.
Windley Road75 m
Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A563/Asquith Way.
Windley Road Roundabout9 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Asquith Way. Continue on A563.
A5631.9 km
Turn right onto Southland Road.
Southland Road105 m
Turn left onto Wimborne Road.
Wimborne Road139 m
Turn left onto Ventnor Road South.
Ventnor Road South98 m
Turn left onto Ring Road.
Ring Road130 m
Turn right onto Southland Road.
Southland Road14 m
Turn left onto A563/Palmerston Way. Continue on A563.
A5631.8 km
Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A563/Attlee Way.
Windley Road Roundabout30 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Attlee Way.
A563820 m
Enter Pork Pie Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A563/Glenhills Way.
Pork Pie Roundabout48 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Glenhills Way.
A5631.2 km
Turn left onto Lutterworth Road/A426. Continue on A426.
A4262.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Leicester Road/A426.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Leicester Road/A426. Continue on A426.
A4262.0 km
Turn right onto A563/Glenhills Way.
A5631.2 km
Enter Pork Pie Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A563/Attlee Way.
Pork Pie Roundabout50 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Attlee Way.
A563818 m
Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A563/Asquith Way.
Windley Road Roundabout29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Asquith Way. Continue on A563.
A5632.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A6/Leicester Road.
77 m
Exit the roundabout onto A6/Leicester Road.
A6582 m
Turn right onto Brabazon Road.
Brabazon Road875 m
Turn right onto Wigston Road/B582. Continue on B582.
B5821.4 km
Move left.
54 m
Turn left onto Bull Head Street/A5199.
Bull Head Street1.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Welford Road/A5199.
40 m
Exit the roundabout onto Welford Road/A5199.
Welford Road649 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Welford Road/A5199.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Welford Road/A5199.
Welford Road2.2 km
Turn right onto Foston Road.
Foston Road3.0 km
Turn left onto Leicester Road.
Leicester Road449 m
Turn right onto Church Street.
Church Street97 m
Turn right.
15 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto The Square.
2 m
Exit the roundabout onto The Square.
The Square37 m
Move left onto Station Road.
Station Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Winchester Road.
Winchester Road1.9 km
Move left onto Welford Road.
Welford Road811 m
Move right onto Leicester Road.
Leicester Road189 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Leicester Road/A426.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto Leicester Road/A426. Continue on A426.
A426713 m
Turn left onto Glenville Avenue.
Glenville Avenue201 m
Turn right onto Court Road.
Court Road119 m
Turn left onto Howard Road.
Howard Road67 m
Turn left onto Glenville Avenue.
Glenville Avenue281 m
Turn right onto Leicester Road/A426. Continue on A426.
A426714 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Leicester Road.
2 m
Exit the roundabout onto Leicester Road.
Leicester Road195 m
Move left onto Sycamore Street.
Sycamore Street159 m
Turn left onto Wigston Road.
Wigston Road221 m
Turn left onto Chapel Street.
Chapel Street184 m
Turn right onto Northfield Road.
Northfield Road184 m
Turn right onto Leicester Road.
Leicester Road103 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Leicester Road/A426.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto Leicester Road/A426. Continue on A426.
A4262.0 km
Turn right onto A563/Glenhills Way.
A5631.2 km
Enter Pork Pie Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A563/Attlee Way.
Pork Pie Roundabout50 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Attlee Way.
A563818 m
Enter Windley Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A563/Asquith Way.
Windley Road Roundabout29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Asquith Way.
A5631.0 km
Turn right onto Welford Road/A5199. Continue on A5199.
A51991.6 km
Enter Wakes Road Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Oadby Road/B582.
Wakes Road Roundabout2 m
Exit the roundabout onto Oadby Road/B582.
Oadby Road600 m
Turn left onto Waterloo Crescent.
Waterloo Crescent14 m
Turn left onto Oadby Road.
Oadby Road321 m
Turn right onto Internet Roadtrip.
Internet Roadtrip300 m
Turn left onto Oadby Road.
Oadby Road105 m
Make a right U-turn at Waterloo Crescent onto Oadby Road/B582.
Oadby Road607 m
Enter Wakes Road Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Wakes Road/B5418.
Wakes Road Roundabout30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Wakes Road/B5418.
Wakes Road150 m
Turn left onto Leicester Road/B5418.
Leicester Road223 m
Turn right onto Aylestone Lane/B5418. Continue on B5418.
B54182.7 km
Enter Pork Pie Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A563/Glenhills Way.
Pork Pie Roundabout43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A563/Glenhills Way.
A5631.2 km
Turn left onto Lutterworth Road/A426. Continue on A426.
A4261.6 km
Turn left onto Little Glen Road/B582. Continue on B582.
B5821.9 km
Turn left onto Saffron Road/B5366.
Saffron Road788 m
Turn right onto Gloucester Crescent.
Gloucester Crescent1.5 km
Turn right onto Stonesby Avenue/B5418. Continue on B5418.
B5418741 m
Turn right onto Rolleston Road.
Rolleston Road12 m
Turn left onto Aylestone Lane.
Aylestone Lane56 m
Turn right onto Aylestone Road.
Aylestone Road29 m
Turn right to stay on Aylestone Road.
Aylestone Road2 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Aylestone Road.
Aylestone Road2 m
Turn left to stay on Aylestone Road.
Aylestone Road29 m
Turn left onto Aylestone Lane.
Aylestone Lane56 m
Turn left onto Rolleston Road.
Rolleston Road409 m
Turn right onto West Avenue.
West Avenue291 m
Turn right onto Warwick Road.
Warwick Road185 m
Turn right onto Rolleston Road.
Rolleston Road229 m
Turn left onto West Avenue.
West Avenue31 m
Turn right onto Pullman Road.
Pullman Road527 m
Turn left onto Station Road/B582. Continue on B582.
B582777 m
Turn left onto Long Street.
Long Street480 m
Turn left onto Aylestone Lane/B5418. Continue on B5418.
B54181.7 km
Turn left onto Glenborne Road.
Glenborne Road1.5 km
Turn left onto Saffron Road/B5366.
Saffron Road767 m
Move left to stay on Saffron Road/B5366.
Saffron Road32 m
Move left onto St Thomas Road/B582. Continue on B582.
B582368 m
Turn right onto Canal Street.
Canal Street86 m
Turn right onto Bassett Street.
Bassett Street288 m
Turn right onto Countesthorpe Road.
Countesthorpe Road80 m
Turn left onto St Thomas Road/B582.
St Thomas Road62 m
Turn right onto Saffron Road/B5366.
Saffron Road906 m
Turn left onto Namur Road.
Namur Road105 m
Turn left onto Ladysmith Road.
Ladysmith Road98 m
Turn left onto Hindoostan Avenue.
Hindoostan Avenue190 m
Turn left onto Crete Avenue.
Crete Avenue30 m
Turn right onto Saffron Road/B5366.
Saffron Road154 m
Turn right onto Tigers Road.
Tigers Road100 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Leicester · Route 9 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.
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
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Windley Road Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 15.4 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, 60 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.
Salvation Army - Leicester South
Start near Salvation Army - Leicester South.
i-DRAGON
Continue to i-DRAGON.
Windley Road Roundabout
Continue to Windley Road Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
United Reform Church
Continue to United Reform Church.
Grange Stores & P.O.
Continue to Grange Stores & P.O..
Chrisstadelphian Hall
Continue to Chrisstadelphian Hall.
Leicester Tigers
Continue to Leicester Tigers.
St Wistan Church
Continue to St Wistan Church.
Blackberry Bush Nursery
Continue to Blackberry Bush Nursery.
Countesthorpe Methodist Church
Continue to Countesthorpe Methodist Church.
Blaby Methodist Church
Continue to Blaby Methodist Church.
Blaby Baptist Church
Continue to Blaby Baptist Church.
Cradle Nursery
Continue to Cradle Nursery.
William Wygston
Continue to William Wygston.
Christ Gospel Church
Continue to Christ Gospel Church.
P. G. Motors
Continue to P. G. Motors.
Play Days Academy
Continue to Play Days Academy.
Nautical William
Continue to Nautical William.
All Saints Church
Continue to All Saints Church.
St Thomas
Finish back near St Thomas, completing the loop.
10 roundabouts · 12 turns
11 roundabouts · 7 turns · 2 sets of lights
14 roundabouts · 11 turns · 2 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 13 turns · 4 sets of lights
This route is 66.1 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Leicester test centre, not an official DVSA route.