Near Monmouth test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 8 roundabouts, 13 turns and 5 signalled junctions across 24 navigation steps.
This is an independent 88.9 km practice loop near Monmouth test centre, taking roughly 35 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 St. James' Square and St. Thomas's Square. 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, churches, named junctions and shops, 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 Monmouth 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 111-step drive on real, named roads (about 88.9 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northeast.
22 m
Turn left.
12 m
Turn left onto Old Dixton Road.
Old Dixton Road154 m
Enter St. James' Square and take the 2nd exit onto St. James' Square/A466.
St. James' Square54 m
Exit the roundabout onto St. James' Square/A466. Continue on A466.
A466195 m
Turn right onto Dixton Road/A466.
Dixton Road934 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A40.
110 m
Exit the roundabout onto A40.
A4011.0 km
Keep right to stay on A40.
A4076 m
Take the Raglan exit.
A40902 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on A40.
A40264 m
Take the exit.
A409.7 km
Take the exit.
A40110 m
Move left onto B4293.
B429392 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Portal Road/B4293.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road356 m
Keep left to stay on Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road104 m
Keep left to stay on Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road57 m
Turn left onto Beech Road/B4293.
Beech Road222 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Beech Road/B4293.
Beech Road222 m
Turn right onto Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road518 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
Cinderhill Street124 m
Turn right onto B4293.
B4293162 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Blestium Street.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto Blestium Street.
Blestium Street228 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Blestium Street.
Blestium Street228 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto B4293.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto B4293.
B4293461 m
Turn right onto Goldwire Lane.
Goldwire Lane119 m
Turn right onto St. Thomas's Square/B4233.
St. Thomas's Square10 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
Cinderhill Street312 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
42 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
Cinderhill Street124 m
Turn left onto Goldwire Lane.
Goldwire Lane151 m
Turn left onto Clawdd Du.
Clawdd Du77 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Clawdd Du.
Clawdd Du77 m
Turn left onto Goldwire Lane.
Goldwire Lane310 m
Turn left onto Wonastow Road.
Wonastow Road529 m
Make a sharp left to stay on Wonastow Road.
Wonastow Road626 m
Turn right onto Drybridge Street/B4233.
Drybridge Street146 m
Enter St. Thomas's Square and take the 1st exit onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
St. Thomas's Square37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
Cinderhill Street188 m
Turn left onto B4293.
B4293162 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Blestium Street.
32 m
Exit the roundabout onto Blestium Street.
Blestium Street207 m
Make a sharp left.
90 m
Turn right onto Blestium Street.
Blestium Street185 m
Keep left to stay on Blestium Street.
Blestium Street35 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto B4293.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto B4293.
B4293162 m
Turn left onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
Cinderhill Street124 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Portal Road/B4293.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road298 m
Keep left to stay on Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road109 m
Keep left to stay on Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road590 m
Keep straight to take Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road100 m
Keep right at the fork.
38 m
Turn left.
13 m
Turn left onto B4293.
B429354 m
Keep left to stay on B4293.
B4293859 m
Turn left onto Link Road.
Link Road910 m
Turn right onto Wonastow Road.
Wonastow Road638 m
Turn right onto Drybridge Street/B4233.
Drybridge Street36 m
Keep left to stay on B4233.
B4233110 m
Enter St. Thomas's Square and take the 1st exit onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
St. Thomas's Square37 m
Exit the roundabout onto Cinderhill Street/B4233.
Cinderhill Street312 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto B4293.
18 m
Exit the roundabout onto B4293.
B429392 m
Turn left to take the A40 ramp.
A401.7 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto A40.
157 m
Exit the roundabout onto A40.
A4010.9 km
Keep right to stay on A40.
A40136 m
Keep right to stay on A40.
A4076 m
Take the Raglan exit.
A40902 m
Turn right.
265 m
Take the exit.
A409.7 km
Take the exit.
A40110 m
Move left onto B4293.
B429392 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Portal Road/B4293.
12 m
Exit the roundabout onto Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road356 m
Keep left to stay on Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road104 m
Keep left to stay on B4293.
B4293569 m
Keep straight to take Portal Road/B4293.
Portal Road69 m
Keep right at the fork.
38 m
Turn left.
13 m
Turn left onto B4293.
B4293107 m
Keep left to stay on B4293.
B42931.0 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto B4293.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto B4293.
B429392 m
Turn left to take the A40 ramp.
A401.9 km
Exit the roundabout onto A40.
A4010.9 km
Keep right to stay on A40.
A40136 m
Keep right to stay on A40.
A4076 m
Take the Raglan exit.
A40902 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on A40.
A40264 m
Take the exit.
A4011.5 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 5th exit onto A40.
157 m
Exit the roundabout onto A40.
A40931 m
Turn left onto A466.
A46691 m
Keep left to stay on A466.
A466155 m
Move left onto Staunton Road/A4136.
Staunton Road120 m
Turn left onto Hadnock Road.
Hadnock Road121 m
Turn left.
94 m
Turn left.
93 m
Turn right onto Staunton Road/A4136.
Staunton Road69 m
Move right onto A466.
A466219 m
Keep left to stay on A466.
A466134 m
Turn right onto St James' Street/A466.
St James' Street41 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Monmouth · 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 72.8 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.
Club
Start near Club.
Monmouth Baptist Church
Continue to Monmouth Baptist Church.
Monmouth Community Hub
Continue to Monmouth Community Hub.
Monmouth Leisure Centre
Continue to Monmouth Leisure Centre.
Old Nags Head
Continue to Old Nags Head.
St. James' Square
Continue to St. James' Square, taking the junction with good observation.
Overmonnow Garage
Continue to Overmonnow Garage.
Bbeyoutiful
Continue to Bbeyoutiful.
Best-one
Continue to Best-one.
Church of St Thomas the Martyr
Continue to Church of St Thomas the Martyr.
Green Dragon
Continue to Green Dragon.
Oasis
Continue to Oasis.
Riverside Hotel
Continue to Riverside Hotel.
St. Thomas's Square
Continue to St. Thomas's Square, taking the junction with good observation.
Grange, Monmouth Prep School
Continue to Grange, Monmouth Prep School.
Lidl
Continue to Lidl.
Mayhill Hotel
Continue to Mayhill Hotel.
Monmouth Methodist Church
Continue to Monmouth Methodist Church.
Screwfix
Continue to Screwfix.
Topstak
Finish back near Topstak, completing the loop.
6 roundabouts · 19 turns · 5 sets of lights
4 roundabouts · 19 turns · 4 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 17 turns · 4 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 17 turns · 5 sets of lights
This route is 88.9 km and takes about 35 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Monmouth test centre, not an official DVSA route.