Near Lichfield test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 5 roundabouts, 10 turns and 4 signalled junctions across 21 navigation steps.
This is an independent 66.6 km practice loop near Lichfield 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 Friary, Swinfen Interchange and Muckley Corner. 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, shops, named junctions and churches, 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 110-step drive on real, named roads (about 66.6 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 Street837 m
Turn right onto Wheel Lane.
Wheel Lane285 m
Turn left onto Grange Lane.
Grange Lane272 m
Turn left onto Longstaff Croft.
Longstaff Croft86 m
Turn left onto High Grange.
High Grange140 m
Turn left onto Little Grange.
Little Grange72 m
Turn left onto Grange Lane.
Grange Lane340 m
Turn right onto A5192/Eastern Avenue.
A51923.5 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A5192/Cappers Lane.
33 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5192/Cappers Lane.
A5192557 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A5192/Cappers Lane.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5192/Cappers Lane. Continue on Cappers Lane.
Cappers Lane2.5 km
Turn right onto Church Street.
Church Street1.7 km
Turn right onto Tamworth Road/A51.
Tamworth Road2.8 km
Turn left onto Birmingham Road.
Birmingham Road532 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A461/The Friary.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/The Friary. Continue on A461.
A461322 m
Enter The Friary and take the 2nd exit onto A51/Western By-Pass.
The Friary146 m
Exit the roundabout onto A51/Western By-Pass. Continue on A51.
A512.5 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A51/Stafford Road.
31 m
Exit the roundabout onto A51/Stafford Road. Continue on A51.
A516.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A460/Brereton Hill.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto A460/Brereton Hill. Continue on A460.
A4601.5 km
Turn left onto Coulthwaite Way.
Coulthwaite Way81 m
Turn left onto Oaktree Road.
Oaktree Road75 m
Turn left onto Heath Road.
Heath Road70 m
Turn right onto Beeches Road.
Beeches Road159 m
Turn right onto The Green.
The Green101 m
Turn left onto Oaktree Road.
Oaktree Road63 m
Turn left onto Redbrook Lane.
Redbrook Lane156 m
Turn right onto A460/Main Road Brereton. Continue on A460.
A4601.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A51/Main Road.
31 m
Exit the roundabout onto A51/Main Road. Continue on A51.
A516.8 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A51/Stafford Road.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A51/Stafford Road. Continue on A51.
A512.6 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A461/The Friary.
178 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 Road529 m
Turn right onto Upper St John Street.
Upper St John Street826 m
Turn left onto Tamworth Road/A51.
Tamworth Road397 m
Turn left to stay on Tamworth Road.
Tamworth Road13 m
Turn right to stay on Tamworth Road.
Tamworth Road30 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Tamworth Road.
Tamworth Road30 m
Make a left U-turn at Tamworth Road onto Tamworth Road/A51.
Tamworth Road146 m
Turn right onto Cricket Lane.
Cricket Lane536 m
Turn right onto A5206/London Road.
A5206553 m
Turn right onto Tamworth Road/A51.
Tamworth Road397 m
Turn left to stay on Tamworth Road.
Tamworth Road13 m
Turn right to stay on Tamworth Road.
Tamworth Road30 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Tamworth Road.
Tamworth Road30 m
Make a left U-turn at Tamworth Road onto Tamworth Road/A51.
Tamworth Road146 m
Turn right onto Cricket Lane.
Cricket Lane536 m
Turn left onto A5206/London Road.
A5206604 m
Enter Swinfen Interchange and take the 3rd exit.
Swinfen Interchange309 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5148.
A51482.0 km
Move left onto A5.
A557 m
Move right to stay on A5.
A5235 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A5/Wall Bypass.
17 m
Exit the roundabout onto A5/Wall Bypass. Continue on A5.
A53.3 km
Enter Muckley Corner and take the 3rd exit onto A5/Watling Street.
Muckley Corner55 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 4th exit onto Walsall Road/A461.
Muckley Corner70 m
Exit the roundabout onto Walsall Road/A461.
Walsall Road2.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Walsall Road/A5190.
53 m
Exit the roundabout onto Walsall Road/A5190. Continue on Walsall Road.
Walsall Road627 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
67 m
Exit the roundabout onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
Limburg Avenue482 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Limburg Avenue/A461.
Limburg Avenue220 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
A461469 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
A461142 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/Sainte Foy Avenue.
A461189 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Birmingham Road.
43 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 Road812 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A461/The Friary.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto A461/The Friary. Continue on A461.
A461322 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto The Friary.
213 m
Exit the roundabout onto The Friary.
The Friary285 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Swan Road.
9 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 15 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.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
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 43.0 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.
George & Dragon
Start near George & Dragon.
Queens Head
Continue to Queens Head.
GEM Carpets & Beds
Continue to GEM Carpets & Beds.
Bitter Suite
Continue to Bitter Suite.
Horse and Jockey
Continue to Horse and Jockey.
Bowling Green
Continue to Bowling Green.
Friary
Continue to Friary, taking the junction with good observation.
Brereton Methodist Church
Continue to Brereton Methodist Church.
St Michael
Continue to St Michael.
Pure Beauty
Continue to Pure Beauty.
Gallows Wharf Garden of Reflection
Continue to Gallows Wharf Garden of Reflection.
Owl At Lichfield
Continue to Owl At Lichfield.
Swinfen Interchange
Continue to Swinfen Interchange, 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.
Springhill Methodist Church
Continue to Springhill Methodist Church.
Lichfield Bus Station
Continue to Lichfield Bus Station.
Lichfield Cathedral
Finish back near Lichfield Cathedral, completing the loop.
7 roundabouts · 15 turns · 5 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 16 turns · 5 sets of lights
5 roundabouts · 14 turns · 4 sets of lights
8 roundabouts · 13 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 66.6 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Lichfield test centre, not an official DVSA route.