Near Preston test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 10 roundabouts and 31 turns across 46 navigation steps.
This is an independent 13.4 km practice loop near Preston test centre, taking roughly 18 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 Oaks Wood. 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 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, named junctions, schools and pubs, 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 Preston 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 46-step drive on real, named roads (about 13.3 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive northeast on Chain Caul Road.
Chain Caul Road143 m
Turn right onto Chain Caul Way.
Chain Caul Way438 m
Turn right to stay on Chain Caul Way.
Chain Caul Way104 m
Turn right onto Navigation Way.
Navigation Way1.6 km
Turn right onto Port Way.
Port Way579 m
Turn left onto Strand Road/B5254.
Strand Road159 m
Turn left onto A59/Guild Way.
A59821 m
Move left onto B5254.
B5254510 m
Turn left onto Liverpool Road.
Liverpool Road287 m
Turn right onto Kingsway.
Kingsway286 m
Turn right onto Priory Lane.
Priory Lane163 m
Turn left onto Shaftesbury Avenue.
Shaftesbury Avenue238 m
Turn right onto Links Road.
Links Road1 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Links Road.
Links Road1 m
Turn left onto Shaftesbury Avenue.
Shaftesbury Avenue511 m
Turn left onto Kingsway.
Kingsway219 m
Turn left onto Penwortham Brow.
Penwortham Brow327 m
Make a sharp right onto Leyland Road/B5254.
Leyland Road287 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Golden Way/B5254.
72 m
Exit the roundabout onto Golden Way/B5254.
Golden Way140 m
Enter Oaks Wood and take the 2nd exit onto A59/Guild Way.
Oaks Wood51 m
Exit the roundabout onto A59/Guild Way.
A592.0 km
Turn left onto Corporation Street/A5071.
Corporation Street147 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Kendal Street/A583.
21 m
Exit the roundabout onto Kendal Street/A583.
Kendal Street87 m
Move right onto Walker Street.
Walker Street186 m
Turn left onto North Street.
North Street124 m
Move left onto Warwick Street.
Warwick Street73 m
Turn left onto Moor Lane/A5071.
Moor Lane171 m
Move right onto Kendal Street/A583.
Kendal Street86 m
Enter Corporation Street and take the 3rd exit onto Corporation Street/A583.
Corporation Street19 m
Exit the roundabout onto Corporation Street/A583. Continue on A583.
A5831.0 km
Turn left onto Water Lane/A583.
Water Lane186 m
Turn left onto West View Terrace.
West View Terrace29 m
Turn right onto Cheviot Street.
Cheviot Street5 m
Turn left to stay on Cheviot Street.
Cheviot Street26 m
Turn right to stay on Cheviot Street.
Cheviot Street60 m
Turn left onto West View Terrace.
West View Terrace29 m
Turn left onto Watery Lane/A583.
Watery Lane1.2 km
Turn left onto Pedders Way.
Pedders Way186 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Navigation Way.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto Navigation Way.
Navigation Way78 m
Turn right onto Chain Caul Way.
Chain Caul Way104 m
Turn left to stay on Chain Caul Way.
Chain Caul Way438 m
Turn left onto Chain Caul Road.
Chain Caul Road143 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Preston · Residential + A-road 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.
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.
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.
Preston Marina
Start near Preston Marina.
Oaks Wood
Continue to Oaks Wood, taking the junction with good observation.
Better Butts Sandwich Shop
Continue to Better Butts Sandwich Shop.
Paper Shop Plus
Continue to Paper Shop Plus.
Chandler Building
Continue to Chandler Building.
Edward Building
Continue to Edward Building.
Adelphi
Continue to Adelphi.
Harris Building
Continue to Harris Building.
Pizza City
Continue to Pizza City.
St Peter's Art Centre
Continue to St Peter's Art Centre.
University of Lancashire Students Union
Continue to University of Lancashire Students Union.
Hanover Building
Continue to Hanover Building.
University of Lancashire
Continue to University of Lancashire.
Nicksons Kitchens and Bathrooms
Continue to Nicksons Kitchens and Bathrooms.
Preston Cycles
Continue to Preston Cycles.
Grand Junction
Continue to Grand Junction.
Wheatsheaf
Continue to Wheatsheaf.
Porsche Centre Preston
Continue to Porsche Centre Preston.
McDonald's
Continue to McDonald's.
Green Frog
Finish back near Green Frog, completing the loop.
55 roundabouts · 10 turns
10 roundabouts · 33 turns
6 roundabouts · 14 turns
8 roundabouts · 10 turns
This route is 13.4 km and takes about 18 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Preston test centre, not an official DVSA route.