Near Letchworth test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 9 roundabouts, 11 turns and 1 signalled junction across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 37.6 km practice route near Letchworth 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.
Along the way you'll meet Saint Michael's Road. 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, 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 churches, pubs, shops and named junctions, 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 Letchworth 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 108-step drive on real, named roads (about 38.4 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive south.
22 m
Turn right onto Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place333 m
Turn right onto Ridge Avenue.
Ridge Avenue265 m
Turn right onto Ridge Road.
Ridge Road41 m
Turn left to stay on Ridge Road.
Ridge Road155 m
Turn right to stay on Ridge Road.
Ridge Road107 m
Turn left onto Ridge Avenue.
Ridge Avenue163 m
Turn right onto Hillshott.
Hillshott251 m
Turn left onto Norton Way South.
Norton Way South211 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Norton Way South.
83 m
Exit the roundabout onto Norton Way South.
Norton Way South544 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Station Road.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Station Road.
Station Road400 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Broadway.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Broadway.
Broadway259 m
Turn left to stay on Broadway.
Broadway38 m
Turn right to stay on Broadway.
Broadway216 m
Move left to stay on Broadway.
Broadway498 m
Enter Sollershott Circus and take the 2nd exit onto Spring Road.
Sollershott Circus34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Spring Road.
Spring Road268 m
Turn left onto Baldock Road/A505.
Baldock Road1.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Baldock Road/B656.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Baldock Road/B656.
Baldock Road652 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Baldock Road/B656.
31 m
Exit the roundabout onto Baldock Road/B656. Continue on B656.
B6561.2 km
Turn left onto Letchworth Road.
Letchworth Road17 m
Turn left to stay on Letchworth Road.
Letchworth Road201 m
Make a left U-turn at Letchworth Road onto Letchworth Road/B656.
Letchworth Road212 m
Turn left to stay on Letchworth Road.
Letchworth Road17 m
Turn left to stay on Letchworth Road.
Letchworth Road201 m
Make a left U-turn at Letchworth Road onto Letchworth Road/B656.
Letchworth Road485 m
Turn right onto Weston Way.
Weston Way1.4 km
Turn right onto London Road/B197.
London Road1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A505/London Road.
79 m
Exit the roundabout onto A505/London Road.
A505849 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Letchworth Gate/A505.
167 m
Exit the roundabout onto Letchworth Gate/A505.
Letchworth Gate19 m
Keep right to stay on Letchworth Gate/A505.
Letchworth Gate183 m
Turn left onto Baldock Lane.
Baldock Lane912 m
Turn right.
106 m
Make a right U-turn.
106 m
Turn right onto Baldock Lane.
Baldock Lane259 m
Move left onto Wymondley Road.
Wymondley Road776 m
Keep left to stay on Wymondley Road.
Wymondley Road1.1 km
Keep right to take Willian Road.
Willian Road361 m
Move right onto Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road41 m
Turn right to stay on Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road44 m
Keep right to stay on Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road736 m
Keep right to stay on Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road238 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto St Michaels Road.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto St Michaels Road.
St Michaels Road129 m
Turn left to stay on St Michaels Road.
St Michaels Road73 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on St Michaels Road.
St Michaels Road73 m
Turn left to stay on St Michaels Road.
St Michaels Road255 m
Enter Saint Michael's Road and take the 2nd exit onto St Michaels Road.
Saint Michael's Road34 m
Exit the roundabout onto St Michaels Road.
St Michaels Road987 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Cambridge Road/A505.
56 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cambridge Road/A505.
Cambridge Road172 m
Keep right to stay on Cambridge Road/A505.
Cambridge Road625 m
Turn left onto Millard Way.
Millard Way176 m
Keep straight to stay on Millard Way.
Millard Way156 m
Turn right onto Grovelands Avenue.
Grovelands Avenue408 m
Turn left onto Stotfold Road.
Stotfold Road2.1 km
Keep right to take Wilbury Hills Road.
Wilbury Hills Road615 m
Turn left onto Stotfold Road.
Stotfold Road1.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hitchin Road.
46 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road379 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hitchin Road.
52 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road514 m
Keep right to stay on Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road137 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A507.
65 m
Exit the roundabout onto A507.
A507124 m
Keep right to stay on A507.
A507123 m
Keep right to stay on A507.
A5071.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Norton Road.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Norton Road.
Norton Road123 m
Turn right onto Groveland Way.
Groveland Way61 m
Turn left onto The Coppens.
The Coppens78 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on The Coppens.
The Coppens78 m
Turn right onto Groveland Way.
Groveland Way61 m
Turn left onto Norton Road.
Norton Road109 m
Turn left to stay on Norton Road.
Norton Road13 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A507.
90 m
Exit the roundabout onto A507.
A5071.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Hitchin Road.
10 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road49 m
Keep straight to stay on Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road131 m
Keep right to stay on Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road472 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Hitchin Road.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Hitchin Road.
Hitchin Road379 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Stotfold Road.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stotfold Road.
Stotfold Road1.6 km
Turn right onto Wilbury Hills Road.
Wilbury Hills Road1.9 km
Keep right to stay on Stotfold Road.
Stotfold Road1.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Cambridge Road/A505.
13 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cambridge Road/A505. Continue on A505.
A5053.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Baldock Road/B656.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Baldock Road/B656.
Baldock Road60 m
Turn left onto Pixmore Avenue.
Pixmore Avenue7 m
Keep right to stay on Pixmore Avenue.
Pixmore Avenue378 m
Turn right onto Wissen Drive.
Wissen Drive228 m
Turn left to stay on Wissen Drive.
Wissen Drive57 m
Turn left to stay on Wissen Drive.
Wissen Drive134 m
Turn left onto Pixmore Avenue.
Pixmore Avenue136 m
Turn left onto Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place141 m
Turn right to stay on Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place145 m
Turn left to stay on Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place62 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Letchworth · Route 20 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.
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 1.1 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, 40, 50, 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.
Lechworth Central Methodist Church
Start near Lechworth Central Methodist Church.
Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya
Continue to Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya.
Platform
Continue to Platform.
Waiting Room
Continue to Waiting Room.
Londis
Continue to Londis.
St Paul's
Continue to St Paul's.
Aldi
Continue to Aldi.
B&M Home Store
Continue to B&M Home Store.
Baldock Fire Station
Continue to Baldock Fire Station.
George IV
Continue to George IV.
Fox
Continue to Fox.
Three Horseshoes
Continue to Three Horseshoes.
Green Man
Continue to Green Man.
Saint Michael's Road
Continue to Saint Michael's Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Anchor Inn
Continue to Anchor Inn.
St Faith's Church
Continue to St Faith's Church.
Two Chimneys
Continue to Two Chimneys.
Hitchin Garden Centre
Continue to Hitchin Garden Centre.
Premier Basra Stores
Continue to Premier Basra Stores.
Saroye Stores
Finish back near Saroye Stores, completing the loop.
10 roundabouts · 12 turns
10 roundabouts · 14 turns · 1 set of lights
11 roundabouts · 11 turns · 2 sets of lights
11 roundabouts · 14 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 37.6 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Letchworth test centre, not an official DVSA route.