Near Letchworth test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 12 turns and 1 signalled junction across 22 navigation steps.
This is an independent 23.6 km practice route near Letchworth test centre, taking roughly 30 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 Letchworth Gate. 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, 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, named junctions, shops 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 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 66-step drive on real, named roads (about 23.6 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 left onto Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place93 m
Turn right to stay on Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place145 m
Turn left to stay on Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place335 m
Turn right to stay on Jackmans Place.
Jackmans Place141 m
Turn right onto Pixmore Avenue.
Pixmore Avenue229 m
Turn left onto Ridge Road.
Ridge Road234 m
Turn left onto Ridge Avenue.
Ridge Avenue754 m
Turn right onto Baldock Road/A505.
Baldock Road523 m
Turn right onto Norton Way South.
Norton Way South407 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Pixmore Way.
55 m
Exit the roundabout onto Pixmore Way.
Pixmore Way598 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Baldock Road/B656.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Baldock Road/B656.
Baldock Road332 m
Turn right onto Radburn Way.
Radburn Way143 m
Turn right to stay on Radburn Way.
Radburn Way776 m
Turn right to stay on Radburn Way.
Radburn Way64 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Letchworth Gate/A505.
28 m
Exit the roundabout onto Letchworth Gate/A505.
Letchworth Gate786 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Letchworth Gate/A505.
423 m
Exit the roundabout onto Letchworth Gate/A505.
Letchworth Gate777 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Penn Way.
9 m
Exit the roundabout onto Penn Way.
Penn Way1.2 km
Turn right onto Howard Drive.
Howard Drive558 m
Turn left onto Whitethorn Lane.
Whitethorn Lane472 m
Turn left onto Willian Way.
Willian Way298 m
Turn left onto Brandles Road.
Brandles Road438 m
Turn left onto Howard Drive.
Howard Drive305 m
Turn left onto Whitethorn Lane.
Whitethorn Lane472 m
Turn right onto Willian Way.
Willian Way442 m
Turn right onto Baldock Road/A505.
Baldock Road322 m
Turn left onto Rushby Mead.
Rushby Mead320 m
Turn left onto Pixmore Way.
Pixmore Way131 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Norton Way South.
51 m
Exit the roundabout onto Norton Way South.
Norton Way South544 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Norton Way North.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Norton Way North.
Norton Way North322 m
Turn left onto Icknield Way.
Icknield Way750 m
Turn right onto Bedford Road.
Bedford Road1.1 km
Turn right onto Stotfold Road.
Stotfold Road1.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Stotfold Road.
83 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stotfold Road.
Stotfold Road1.6 km
Turn left onto Bedford Road.
Bedford Road1.1 km
Turn left onto Icknield Way.
Icknield Way750 m
Turn right onto Norton Way North.
Norton Way North323 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Birds Hill.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birds Hill.
Birds Hill134 m
Turn right onto Ridge Road.
Ridge Road256 m
Turn left to stay on Ridge Road.
Ridge Road155 m
Turn right to stay on Ridge Road.
Ridge Road322 m
Turn left onto Birds Hill.
Birds Hill135 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Station Road.
20 m
Exit the roundabout onto Station Road.
Station Road400 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Station Place.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto Station Place.
Station Place408 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Birds Hill.
27 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birds Hill.
Birds Hill436 m
Turn right onto Pixmore Avenue.
Pixmore Avenue224 m
Turn right onto Ridge Road.
Ridge Road127 m
Turn right to stay on Ridge Road.
Ridge Road155 m
Turn left to stay on Ridge Road.
Ridge Road193 m
Turn right onto Pixmore Avenue.
Pixmore Avenue229 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 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.
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
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 0.4 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.
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.
Church Of St Alban
Start near Church Of St Alban.
Lechworth Central Methodist Church
Continue to Lechworth Central Methodist Church.
St Paul's
Continue to St Paul's.
Letchworth Gate
Continue to Letchworth Gate, taking the junction with good observation.
Londis
Continue to Londis.
Letchworth Free Church
Continue to Letchworth Free Church.
Martins 2018
Continue to Martins 2018.
Norton Way Nissan
Continue to Norton Way Nissan.
Salvation Army
Continue to Salvation Army.
St Thomas' Church
Continue to St Thomas' Church.
Tesco Express
Continue to Tesco Express.
Two Chimneys
Continue to Two Chimneys.
Kattz Kidz
Continue to Kattz Kidz.
Platform
Continue to Platform.
Smash & Slice
Continue to Smash & Slice.
Waiting Room
Continue to Waiting Room.
Halfords Autocentre
Continue to Halfords Autocentre.
HSL
Continue to HSL.
Secure Store
Continue to Secure Store.
Wentworth Kitchens
Finish back near Wentworth Kitchens, 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 23.6 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Letchworth test centre, not an official DVSA route.