Near Lichfield test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 16 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 27 navigation steps.
This is an independent 59.2 km practice loop near Lichfield 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 Sainte Foy Avenue, Muckley Corner and Swinfen Interchange. 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 pubs, schools, stations 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 Lichfield 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 112-step drive on real, named roads (about 59.3 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west on Lower Sandford Street.
Lower Sandford Street298 m
Turn left onto Walsall Road.
Walsall Road317 m
Turn left onto Swan Road.
Swan Road266 m
Turn left onto Bird Street.
Bird Street990 m
Turn left onto Abnalls Lane.
Abnalls Lane310 m
Turn left onto A51/Western By-Pass.
A511.2 km
Enter The Friary and take the 3rd exit onto Friary Road.
The Friary341 m
Exit the roundabout onto Friary Road.
Friary Road185 m
Move left onto Walsall Road.
Walsall Road1.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Walsall Road.
105 m
Exit the roundabout onto Walsall Road.
Walsall Road1.1 km
Move right onto Friary Road.
Friary Road171 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A461/The Friary.
221 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/The Friary.
A461126 m
Make a sharp right onto A461/Friary Road.
A461106 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A461/The Friary.
359 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/The Friary.
A461328 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Birmingham Road.
9 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birmingham Road.
Birmingham Road809 m
Turn right.
28 m
Turn left.
29 m
Make a right U-turn.
29 m
Turn right.
28 m
Turn left onto Birmingham Road.
Birmingham Road782 m
Turn left to stay on Birmingham Road.
Birmingham Road564 m
Turn right onto Fosseway.
Fosseway311 m
Turn right onto Chesterfield Road.
Chesterfield Road587 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
8 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
A461143 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
19 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
A461464 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
68 m
Exit the roundabout onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
Limburg Avenue221 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
Limburg Avenue483 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Walsall Road/A461.
7 m
Exit the roundabout onto Walsall Road/A461. Continue on Walsall Road.
Walsall Road623 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Walsall Road/A461.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Walsall Road/A461.
Walsall Road2.4 km
Enter Muckley Corner and take the 4th exit onto A5/Watling Street.
Muckley Corner97 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5/Watling Street.
A51.9 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A5/Watling Street.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5/Watling Street.
A5712 m
Turn left onto Chase Road/B5011.
Chase Road630 m
Turn right onto Lichfield Road/B4155.
Lichfield Road341 m
Turn left onto School Avenue.
School Avenue185 m
Turn right onto Great Charles Street.
Great Charles Street170 m
Turn left onto Short Street.
Short Street303 m
Turn right onto Brickiln Street.
Brickiln Street63 m
Turn left onto A452/High Street. Continue on A452.
A4521.4 km
Turn left onto A461/Lichfield Road. Continue on A461.
A4613.3 km
Enter Muckley Corner and take the 5th exit onto A5/Watling Street.
Muckley Corner98 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5/Watling Street.
A51.5 km
Keep right to stay on A5.
A51.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A5148.
71 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5148.
A51481.6 km
Take the Swinfen exit.
400 m
Enter Swinfen Interchange and take the 3rd exit onto London Road.
Swinfen Interchange367 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38/London Road.
A383.8 km
Make a right U-turn at Little Hay Lane to stay on A38/London Road.
A383.8 km
Enter Swinfen Interchange and take the 2nd exit onto A5206/London Road.
Swinfen Interchange221 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5206/London Road.
A5206627 m
Turn left onto Knowle Lane.
Knowle Lane163 m
Turn left.
54 m
Turn right onto Knowle Lane.
Knowle Lane193 m
Turn left onto A5206/London Road.
A52061.4 km
Turn right.
280 m
Turn right.
28 m
Turn left.
29 m
Make a right U-turn.
29 m
Turn right.
28 m
Turn left.
280 m
Turn left onto Upper St John Street.
Upper St John Street2.0 km
Enter Swinfen Interchange and take the 5th exit onto A38.
Swinfen Interchange590 m
Exit the roundabout onto A38.
A382.3 km
Take the exit.
365 m
Turn right onto A5192/Cappers Lane. Continue on Cappers Lane.
Cappers Lane2.1 km
Turn right onto Church Street.
Church Street1.7 km
Turn right onto Tamworth Road/A51.
Tamworth Road814 m
Keep right to take Ryknild Street.
Ryknild Street74 m
Turn right to stay on Ryknild Street.
Ryknild Street1.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Austin Cote Lane.
109 m
Exit the roundabout onto Austin Cote Lane.
Austin Cote Lane324 m
Turn right onto Roman Way.
Roman Way852 m
Turn left onto Broad Lane.
Broad Lane312 m
Move right onto Pentire Road.
Pentire Road513 m
Turn left onto Broad Lane.
Broad Lane91 m
Turn right onto Roman Way.
Roman Way344 m
Turn right onto Abbotsford Road.
Abbotsford Road411 m
Turn right onto Bloomsbury Way.
Bloomsbury Way79 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Bloomsbury Way.
Bloomsbury Way79 m
Turn left onto Abbotsford Road.
Abbotsford Road411 m
Turn left onto Roman Way.
Roman Way344 m
Move right onto Boley Lane.
Boley Lane658 m
Turn left.
239 m
Turn left.
28 m
Turn left.
29 m
Make a right U-turn.
29 m
Turn right.
28 m
Turn left.
280 m
Turn right onto St John Street.
St John Street282 m
Turn left onto The Friary.
The Friary129 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Swan Road.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Swan Road.
Swan Road354 m
Turn left onto Bird Street.
Bird Street138 m
Turn right onto The Close.
The Close118 m
Turn right to stay on The Close.
The Close408 m
Turn left to stay on The Close.
The Close80 m
Turn left onto Bird Street.
Bird Street138 m
Turn right onto Swan Road.
Swan Road198 m
Turn right onto Lower Sandford Street.
Lower Sandford Street199 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Lichfield · Route 14 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.
Expect busier traffic, pick-ups and pedestrians around these.
Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
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 29.8 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, 50, 60, 70 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.
Feathers
Start near Feathers.
Springfields Day Nursery
Continue to Springfields Day Nursery.
Bowling Green
Continue to Bowling Green.
Lichfield Bus Station
Continue to Lichfield Bus Station.
Wellington
Continue to Wellington.
Sainte Foy Avenue
Continue to Sainte Foy Avenue, taking the junction with good observation.
Muckley Corner
Continue to Muckley Corner, taking the junction with good observation.
Chase Inn
Continue to Chase Inn.
Calgary Pentecostal Church
Continue to Calgary Pentecostal Church.
Temple of Light Spiritualist Church
Continue to Temple of Light Spiritualist Church.
Shire Oak
Continue to Shire Oak.
Springhill Methodist Church
Continue to Springhill Methodist Church.
Swinfen Interchange
Continue to Swinfen Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Bitter Suite
Continue to Bitter Suite.
Owl At Lichfield
Continue to Owl At Lichfield.
Gallows Wharf Garden of Reflection
Continue to Gallows Wharf Garden of Reflection.
Horse and Jockey
Continue to Horse and Jockey.
Turnpike
Continue to Turnpike.
Walkabout
Continue to Walkabout.
Lichfield Cathedral
Finish back near Lichfield Cathedral, completing the loop.
5 roundabouts · 10 turns · 4 sets of lights
7 roundabouts · 15 turns · 5 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 14 turns · 4 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 13 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 59.2 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Lichfield test centre, not an official DVSA route.