Near Middlesbrough test centre
Rated moderate from its real manoeuvre load, 7 roundabouts, 12 turns and 2 signalled junctions across 22 navigation steps.
This is an independent 67.2 km practice loop near Middlesbrough 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 Longlands Road, Marton Road Interchange, Tees Dock Road Roundabout and Cargo Fleet Lane 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 churches, schools, 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 Middlesbrough 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 132-step drive on real, named roads (about 67.1 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northwest on Maxwell Road.
Maxwell Road57 m
Turn right onto Sotherby Road.
Sotherby Road393 m
Turn left onto Brunel Road.
Brunel Road330 m
Turn right onto Middlesbrough Road.
Middlesbrough Road98 m
Turn right onto Old Middlesbrough Road.
Old Middlesbrough Road282 m
Turn right onto Blatchford Road.
Blatchford Road108 m
Turn left onto Owens Road.
Owens Road168 m
Turn left onto Webb Road.
Webb Road133 m
Turn left onto Skipper's Lane.
Skipper's Lane450 m
Turn right onto Old Middlesbrough Road.
Old Middlesbrough Road9 m
Turn right onto Middlesbrough Road.
Middlesbrough Road362 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit.
170 m
Exit the roundabout onto Middlesbrough Road.
Middlesbrough Road526 m
Turn left onto Normanby Road.
Normanby Road81 m
Turn right onto A66.
A661.2 km
Turn right onto Church Lane.
Church Lane1.4 km
Keep right to stay on Church Lane.
Church Lane826 m
Turn left onto High Street/B1380.
High Street365 m
Turn right onto Jubilee Road.
Jubilee Road57 m
Turn left to stay on Jubilee Road.
Jubilee Road15 m
Turn right onto Station Road.
Station Road614 m
Turn left onto Jubilee Road.
Jubilee Road398 m
Turn right onto Church Lane.
Church Lane2.2 km
Turn left onto A66/Bolckow Road. Continue on A66.
A661.2 km
Turn right onto Normanby Road.
Normanby Road199 m
Turn left onto Tilbury Road.
Tilbury Road645 m
Turn left onto Old Station Road/B1513.
Old Station Road108 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A66.
22 m
Exit the roundabout onto A66.
A66322 m
Keep left to stay on A66.
A66204 m
Turn left onto Normanby Road.
Normanby Road119 m
Turn right onto Puddlers Road.
Puddlers Road451 m
Turn left onto Middlesbrough Road East.
Middlesbrough Road East518 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Eston Road.
77 m
Exit the roundabout onto Eston Road.
Eston Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Trunk Road/A1085.
65 m
Exit the roundabout onto Trunk Road/A1085.
Trunk Road306 m
Keep right to stay on Trunk Road/A1085.
Trunk Road401 m
Turn left onto Normanby Road.
Normanby Road215 m
Turn right onto Belmont Avenue.
Belmont Avenue204 m
Turn left onto Kingsway Avenue.
Kingsway Avenue68 m
Turn left onto Park Avenue.
Park Avenue207 m
Turn left onto Normanby Road.
Normanby Road1.6 km
Keep left to stay on Normanby Road.
Normanby Road46 m
Turn left onto A66.
A66517 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A66.
86 m
Exit the roundabout onto A66.
A661.0 km
Keep right to stay on A66.
A66230 m
Keep left to stay on A66.
A66307 m
Keep right to stay on A66.
A66107 m
Keep right to stay on A66.
A66236 m
Keep right to stay on A66.
A66274 m
Keep left to stay on A66.
A66105 m
Keep left to stay on A66.
A66668 m
Take the Marton Road Interchange exit.
Marton Road Interchange106 m
Take the Marton Road Interchange ramp on the right.
Marton Road Interchange212 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit.
187 m
Exit the roundabout onto A66.
A66322 m
Keep left to stay on A66.
A66116 m
Keep left to take A172 towards Stokesley.
A1721.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit towards North Ormesby.
18 m
Exit the roundabout towards North Ormesby.
Longlands Road1.2 km
Turn right onto Cargo Fleet Lane/A171.
Cargo Fleet Lane2.5 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto High Street/B1380.
63 m
Exit the roundabout onto High Street/B1380.
High Street166 m
Turn left onto Church Lane.
Church Lane824 m
Turn left.
123 m
Turn right.
43 m
Turn left onto Church Lane.
Church Lane116 m
Turn left onto Ormesby Bank/A171. Continue on A171.
A17157 m
Turn right to take the ramp towards Redcar/Saltburn.
A1744.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit towards Eston/Ormesby.
4 m
Exit the roundabout towards Eston/Ormesby.
High Street302 m
Keep left to stay on B1380.
B1380526 m
Turn right onto Birchington Avenue.
Birchington Avenue274 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Birchington Avenue.
71 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birchington Avenue.
Birchington Avenue292 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Fabian Road.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fabian Road.
Fabian Road769 m
Turn right onto Tawney Road.
Tawney Road108 m
Turn right onto Barmouth Road.
Barmouth Road206 m
Turn right onto Myrddin Baker Road.
Myrddin Baker Road146 m
Turn left onto Fabian Road.
Fabian Road564 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Birchington Avenue.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Birchington Avenue.
Birchington Avenue711 m
Turn left to stay on Birchington Avenue.
Birchington Avenue423 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Broadway/A1085.
57 m
Exit the roundabout onto Broadway/A1085. Continue on A1085.
A1085581 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A1053.
5 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1053.
A1053313 m
Enter Tees Dock Road Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A66/Bolckow Road.
Tees Dock Road Roundabout18 m
Exit the roundabout onto A66/Bolckow Road.
A66885 m
Turn right onto Eston Road.
Eston Road441 m
Keep right to stay on Eston Road.
Eston Road61 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto Eston Road.
112 m
Exit the roundabout onto Eston Road.
Eston Road468 m
Turn left onto A66.
A66887 m
Enter Tees Dock Road Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A1053/Tees Dock Road.
Tees Dock Road Roundabout59 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1053/Tees Dock Road.
A1053320 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A1053/Greystone Road.
112 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1053/Greystone Road.
A10531.9 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A174/The Parkway.
116 m
Exit the roundabout onto A174/The Parkway.
A1744.4 km
Keep right to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174165 m
Keep right to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174124 m
Keep right to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174149 m
Keep right to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174146 m
Keep right to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174165 m
Keep right to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174161 m
Keep straight to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174224 m
Keep left to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174227 m
Keep left to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174209 m
Keep left to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A174102 m
Keep left to stay on A174/The Parkway.
A17418 m
Take the exit.
A172252 m
Keep left to stay on A172.
A172170 m
Turn right onto A172/Marton Road. Continue on A172.
A17276 m
Turn right to take the A174 ramp.
A1746.4 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto A174/The Parkway.
219 m
Exit the roundabout onto A174/The Parkway.
A1744.1 km
Take the exit.
A174284 m
Turn right onto Ormesby Bank/A171. Continue on A171.
A171862 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Cargo Fleet Lane/A171.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cargo Fleet Lane/A171.
Cargo Fleet Lane1.5 km
Keep right to stay on Cargo Fleet Lane/A171.
Cargo Fleet Lane1.7 km
Enter Cargo Fleet Lane Roundabout and take the 7th exit towards Whitby/Guisborough.
Cargo Fleet Lane Roundabout184 m
Exit the roundabout towards Whitby/Guisborough.
Cargo Fleet Lane140 m
Turn left onto South Bank Road.
South Bank Road439 m
Turn right onto Queensway.
Queensway288 m
Turn left onto Sotherby Road.
Sotherby Road218 m
Turn right onto Maxwell Road.
Maxwell Road51 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Middlesbrough · Route 9 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.
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 Tees Dock Road Roundabout, Cargo Fleet Lane Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Dual-carriageway join
About 33.9 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.
Masjid-E-Nomira
Start near Masjid-E-Nomira.
ST. Peters R.C
Continue to ST. Peters R.C.
Christ Church
Continue to Christ Church.
Eston Congregational Church
Continue to Eston Congregational Church.
Progress Schools - Tees Valley
Continue to Progress Schools - Tees Valley.
Saint Peter's Catholic College
Continue to Saint Peter's Catholic College.
Sandstone Nab
Continue to Sandstone Nab.
South Bank Mosque
Continue to South Bank Mosque.
St John the Evangelist
Continue to St John the Evangelist.
Longlands Road
Continue to Longlands Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Marton Road Interchange
Continue to Marton Road Interchange, taking the junction with good observation.
Buccaneer
Continue to Buccaneer.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Continue to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Heron Foods
Continue to Heron Foods.
Pied Piper
Continue to Pied Piper.
Iceland
Continue to Iceland.
St Hilda
Continue to St Hilda.
Tees Dock Road Roundabout
Continue to Tees Dock Road Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Ormesby Crossroads
Continue to Ormesby Crossroads.
Cargo Fleet Lane Roundabout
Finish back near Cargo Fleet Lane Roundabout, completing the loop.
7 roundabouts · 20 turns · 2 sets of lights
7 roundabouts · 16 turns · 2 sets of lights
11 roundabouts · 13 turns · 3 sets of lights
6 roundabouts · 15 turns · 3 sets of lights
This route is 67.2 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Middlesbrough test centre, not an official DVSA route.