Near Merthyr Tydfil test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 15 roundabouts, 13 turns and 1 signalled junction across 31 navigation steps.
This is an independent 63.5 km practice loop near Merthyr Tydfil test centre, taking roughly 45 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 Leo's 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 stations, churches, pubs 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 Merthyr Tydfil 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 166-step drive on real, named roads (about 63.5 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northeast.
25 m
Turn right.
253 m
Turn left.
101 m
Turn left onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road1.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
17 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road878 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Pentrebach Road/A4054.
56 m
Exit the roundabout onto Pentrebach Road/A4054. Continue on A4054.
A4054902 m
Turn right onto Plymouth Street.
Plymouth Street99 m
Turn left onto Tramroad Side South.
Tramroad Side South542 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Tramroad Side North.
71 m
Exit the roundabout onto Tramroad Side North.
Tramroad Side North319 m
Move left onto Church Street.
Church Street73 m
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street379 m
Turn left onto Pontmorlais West/A4102.
A4102781 m
Move left onto A4054.
A405486 m
Turn right onto Cyfarthfa Road/A4054.
Cyfarthfa Road495 m
Turn right to stay on Cyfarthfa Road/A4054.
Cyfarthfa Road45 m
Turn left onto Brecon Road/A4054.
Brecon Road720 m
Turn left onto Maesgwynne.
Maesgwynne34 m
Turn right onto Heol y Cae.
Heol y Cae67 m
Turn right to stay on Heol y Cae.
Heol y Cae84 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Heol y Cae.
Heol y Cae84 m
Turn left to stay on Heol y Cae.
Heol y Cae67 m
Turn left onto Maesgwynne.
Maesgwynne34 m
Turn left onto High Street/A4054. Continue on A4054.
A40542.1 km
Turn left onto A470.
A4701.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A470.
34 m
Exit the roundabout onto A470.
A470101 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A470.
64 m
Exit the roundabout onto A470.
A4701.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Swansea Road/A4102.
16 m
Exit the roundabout onto Swansea Road/A4102.
Swansea Road96 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Swansea Road/A4102.
40 m
Exit the roundabout onto Swansea Road/A4102.
Swansea Road471 m
Turn left onto Cyfarthfa Road/A4054.
Cyfarthfa Road484 m
Turn right to stay on Cyfarthfa Road/A4054.
Cyfarthfa Road45 m
Turn right onto Brecon Road.
Brecon Road774 m
Turn right onto Vulcan Road.
Vulcan Road141 m
Turn left onto Quarry Row.
Quarry Row82 m
Turn right to stay on Quarry Row.
Quarry Row976 m
Enter High Street and take the 2nd exit onto High Street/A4054.
High Street45 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street/A4054. Continue on A4054.
A40541.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit.
96 m
Exit the roundabout.
151 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
26 m
Exit the roundabout.
287 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
29 m
Exit the roundabout.
250 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
32 m
Exit the roundabout.
397 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Chapel Street.
34 m
Exit the roundabout onto Chapel Street.
Chapel Street267 m
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street61 m
Turn left onto Nightingale Street.
Nightingale Street192 m
Turn left onto Cardiff Street.
Cardiff Street68 m
Turn left onto Church View.
Church View455 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit.
25 m
Exit the roundabout.
397 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
30 m
Exit the roundabout.
250 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit.
32 m
Exit the roundabout.
281 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit.
26 m
Exit the roundabout.
151 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
87 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road882 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A4060.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4060.
A4060205 m
Enter Leo's Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A4060.
Leo's Roundabout28 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4060.
A40602.3 km
Enter Mountain Hare Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A4102.
Mountain Hare Roundabout8 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4102.
A4102579 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Goat Mill Road.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Goat Mill Road.
Goat Mill Road490 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Goat Mill Road.
26 m
Exit the roundabout onto Goat Mill Road.
Goat Mill Road872 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Victoria Street.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto Victoria Street.
Victoria Street456 m
Turn left onto Mount Pleasant Street.
Mount Pleasant Street65 m
Turn right onto Alma Street.
Alma Street44 m
Turn left onto Broad Street.
Broad Street95 m
Turn left onto Cross Morlais Street.
Cross Morlais Street172 m
Turn right onto Upper Elizabeth Street.
Upper Elizabeth Street211 m
Turn left onto Balaclava Road.
Balaclava Road162 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto New Road.
59 m
Exit the roundabout onto New Road.
New Road945 m
Enter High Street and take the 2nd exit onto High Street/A4102.
High Street32 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street/A4102. Continue on A4102.
A4102898 m
Turn right onto Brecon Road.
Brecon Road61 m
Turn left onto Garth Street.
Garth Street67 m
Turn right onto Moriah Street.
Moriah Street38 m
Turn right onto Lower Edward Street.
Lower Edward Street30 m
Turn right onto David Street.
David Street40 m
Turn left onto Garth Street.
Garth Street37 m
Turn right onto Brecon Road.
Brecon Road61 m
Turn right onto Bethesda Street/A4102.
Bethesda Street159 m
Turn left onto Avenue de Clichy/A4054.
Avenue de Clichy943 m
Enter High Street and take the 2nd exit onto High Street/A4054.
High Street45 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street/A4054. Continue on A4054.
A40541.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road882 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
88 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
31 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road649 m
Turn right onto Bridge Street/B4285. Continue on B4285.
B42851.9 km
Turn right onto The Grove.
The Grove38 m
Turn left to stay on The Grove.
The Grove177 m
Turn left onto Ynysowen Fach.
Ynysowen Fach17 m
Turn left onto B4285.
B42852.1 km
Turn left onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road647 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
23 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A4060.
47 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4060.
A4060205 m
Enter Leo's Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A4060.
Leo's Roundabout28 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4060.
A40602.3 km
Enter Mountain Hare Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A4102.
Mountain Hare Roundabout8 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4102.
A4102579 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A4102.
1 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4102.
A4102661 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto High Street/A4102.
9 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street/A4102.
High Street319 m
Turn right onto Gwaelodygarth Road/The Avenue.
Gwaelodygarth Road/The Avenue263 m
Turn left onto The Grove.
The Grove257 m
Move left onto The Walk.
The Walk193 m
Turn right onto Brunswick Street.
Brunswick Street83 m
Turn left.
126 m
Turn right onto Brecon Road.
Brecon Road113 m
Turn right onto Dane Street.
Dane Street125 m
Turn right onto Norman Terrace.
Norman Terrace195 m
Turn right onto The Walk.
The Walk159 m
Turn left onto Brecon Road.
Brecon Road72 m
Turn right onto Bethesda Street/A4102.
Bethesda Street169 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on A4102.
A41021.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto High Street.
40 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street.
High Street945 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Balaclava Road.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Balaclava Road.
Balaclava Road167 m
Turn right onto Upper Elizabeth Street.
Upper Elizabeth Street212 m
Turn left onto Berry Square.
Berry Square172 m
Turn right onto Broad Street.
Broad Street95 m
Turn right onto Alma Street.
Alma Street44 m
Turn left onto Mount Pleasant Street.
Mount Pleasant Street65 m
Turn right onto Victoria Street.
Victoria Street456 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto High Street.
14 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street.
High Street1.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto A465/Heads of the Valleys Road.
A4655.0 km
Take the exit.
369 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A470.
24 m
Exit the roundabout onto A470.
A4701.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A470.
61 m
Exit the roundabout onto A470.
A4701.9 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A4102.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4102.
A4102313 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A4102.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto A4102.
A4102232 m
Enter High Street and take the 3rd exit onto High Street/A4054.
High Street77 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street/A4054. Continue on A4054.
A40541.2 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road882 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
88 m
Exit the roundabout onto Merthyr Road/A4054.
Merthyr Road535 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Merthyr Tydfil · Route 7 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.
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 Leo's Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 17.3 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, 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.
Pentre-bach
Start near Pentre-bach.
Hope Church Merthyr
Continue to Hope Church Merthyr.
Saint David's Parish Church
Continue to Saint David's Parish Church.
Drovers
Continue to Drovers.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Continue to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Merthyr Bus Station Stand 1
Continue to Merthyr Bus Station Stand 1.
Merthyr Bus Station Stand 2
Continue to Merthyr Bus Station Stand 2.
Ss Peter & Paul Church
Continue to Ss Peter & Paul Church.
Leo's Roundabout
Continue to Leo's Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Farmers Arms
Continue to Farmers Arms.
tyreman
Continue to tyreman.
horeb welsh independant chapel
Continue to horeb welsh independant chapel.
New Simply Indian
Continue to New Simply Indian.
Ying Wah Chinese Takeaway
Continue to Ying Wah Chinese Takeaway.
Park View
Continue to Park View.
Hebron Evangelical Church
Continue to Hebron Evangelical Church.
Tredegar Arms
Continue to Tredegar Arms.
Salon Services
Continue to Salon Services.
KFC
Continue to KFC.
Aldi
Finish back near Aldi, completing the loop.
18 roundabouts · 14 turns · 2 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 16 turns
14 roundabouts · 13 turns · 1 set of lights
12 roundabouts · 13 turns · 2 sets of lights
This route is 63.5 km and takes about 45 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Merthyr Tydfil test centre, not an official DVSA route.