Near Nottingham (Chillwell) test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 31 turns across 42 navigation steps.
This is an independent 9.0 km practice loop near Nottingham (Chillwell) test centre, taking roughly 13 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.
On this route you’ll practise 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 shops, pubs 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 Nottingham (Chillwell) 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:
The full 42-step drive on real, named roads (about 9.0 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west.
28 m
Turn right.
28 m
Turn right.
39 m
Turn left onto Eldon Road.
Eldon Road70 m
Turn left onto Nottingham Road/A6005.
Nottingham Road1.4 km
Turn left onto Devonshire Avenue.
Devonshire Avenue221 m
Turn right to stay on Devonshire Avenue.
Devonshire Avenue53 m
Turn left to stay on Devonshire Avenue.
Devonshire Avenue67 m
Turn right onto The Hollows.
The Hollows36 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on The Hollows.
The Hollows36 m
Turn left onto Devonshire Avenue.
Devonshire Avenue67 m
Turn right to stay on Devonshire Avenue.
Devonshire Avenue53 m
Turn left to stay on Devonshire Avenue.
Devonshire Avenue221 m
Turn right onto Nottingham Road/A6005. Continue on A6005.
A60051.8 km
Move left onto Attenborough Lane.
Attenborough Lane262 m
Turn right onto Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue110 m
Turn left to stay on Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue84 m
Turn left to stay on Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue35 m
Turn left to stay on Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue7 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue7 m
Turn right to stay on Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue35 m
Turn right to stay on Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue84 m
Turn right to stay on Charles Avenue.
Charles Avenue110 m
Turn left onto Attenborough Lane.
Attenborough Lane209 m
Keep right to stay on Attenborough Lane.
Attenborough Lane57 m
Move right onto Bye Pass Road/A6005. Continue on A6005.
A60051.4 km
Turn right onto High Road/B6003. Continue on B6003.
B6003640 m
Turn left onto Blackrod Close.
Blackrod Close17 m
Turn right to stay on Blackrod Close.
Blackrod Close12 m
Move right.
17 m
Turn left.
4 m
Make a right U-turn.
4 m
Turn right.
17 m
Move left onto Blackrod Close.
Blackrod Close12 m
Turn left to stay on Blackrod Close.
Blackrod Close17 m
Turn right onto Stapleford Lane/B6003. Continue on B6003.
B6003640 m
Turn left onto Nottingham Road/A6005.
Nottingham Road947 m
Turn right onto Eldon Road.
Eldon Road70 m
Turn right.
39 m
Turn left.
28 m
Turn left.
28 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Nottingham (Chillwell) · Residential practice loop 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.
Useful navigation anchors on the loop.
Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.
Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.
Local junctions
Take each junction on its merits, good observation, clear signalling and the right speed on approach. Rehearse the sequence so nothing surprises you on the day.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Car Store
Start near Car Store.
Highway Garage
Continue to Highway Garage.
Porcelanosa
Continue to Porcelanosa.
Salvation Army
Continue to Salvation Army.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Sam & Co
Continue to Sam & Co.
Regent Carpets
Continue to Regent Carpets.
Long Eaton Town Bowling Club
Continue to Long Eaton Town Bowling Club.
Corn Mill
Continue to Corn Mill.
Bluebell
Continue to Bluebell.
Images Of Hair;The Barber Shop
Continue to Images Of Hair;The Barber Shop.
Homecraft Interiors
Continue to Homecraft Interiors.
Pennine Dry Cleaners
Continue to Pennine Dry Cleaners.
Bird Hide micropub
Continue to Bird Hide micropub.
Sandwich Bank
Continue to Sandwich Bank.
Erewash Blinds
Continue to Erewash Blinds.
Manor Farm
Continue to Manor Farm.
St Peter's
Continue to St Peter's.
Venezia Pizza
Continue to Venezia Pizza.
Toton Churches (Methodist)
Finish back near Toton Churches (Methodist), completing the loop.
33 roundabouts · 18 turns
12 roundabouts · 10 turns
2 roundabouts · 19 turns
6 roundabouts · 17 turns
This route is 9.0 km and takes about 13 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Nottingham (Chillwell) test centre, not an official DVSA route.