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Practice route
ModerateLoop

Salisbury · Residential practice loop

Near Salisbury test centre

12.8 km
Distance
17 min
Duration
Moderate
Difficulty
54
Manoeuvres
Difficulty: Demanding

Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 18 roundabouts and 27 turns across 54 navigation steps.

How this route is examined

This is an independent 12.8 km practice loop near Salisbury test centre, taking roughly 17 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 Exeter Street 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 roundabout approach & exit 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, pubs, schools 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 Salisbury 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.

Manoeuvre breakdown

What you’ll actually do on this loop, counted from its turn-by-turn directions.

27
Left turns
0
Right turns
18
Roundabouts
0
Traffic lights
54
Total steps

Skills & features

1
Roundabouts
20
Landmarks

This route helps you practise:

  • Roundabout approach & exit
  • Independent driving

Turn-by-turn directions

The full 54-step drive on real, named roads (about 12.9 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.

  1. Depart:

    Drive north on Rougemont Close.

    Rougemont Close37 m

  2. Turn right:

    Turn right to stay on Rougemont Close.

    Rougemont Close54 m

  3. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Manor Road.

    Manor Road243 m

  4. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Wain-a-long Road.

    Wain-a-long Road76 m

  5. Turn left:

    Turn left to stay on Wain-a-long Road.

    Wain-a-long Road20 m

  6. Roundabout:

    Enter St Mark's Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A36/Churchill Way North.

    St Mark's Roundabout60 m

  7. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A36/Churchill Way North.

    A36775 m

  8. Roundabout:

    Enter Castle Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A36/Churchill Way West.

    Castle Roundabout77 m

  9. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A36/Churchill Way West.

    A36658 m

  10. Roundabout:

    Enter St. Pauls Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A36/Wilton Road.

    St. Pauls Roundabout67 m

  11. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A36/Wilton Road.

    A361.4 km

  12. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Church Lane.

    Church Lane61 m

  13. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Saint Andrew's Road.

    Saint Andrew's Road172 m

  14. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Skew Bridge Road.

    Skew Bridge Road32 m

  15. Turn right:

    Turn right.

    49 m

  16. Turn left:

    Turn left.

    63 m

  17. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Lower Road.

    Lower Road46 m

  18. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Skew Bridge Road.

    Skew Bridge Road87 m

  19. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Saint Andrew's Road.

    Saint Andrew's Road172 m

  20. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Church Lane.

    Church Lane61 m

  21. Turn right:

    Turn right onto A36/Wilton Road.

    A361.4 km

  22. Roundabout:

    Enter St. Pauls Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A36/Churchill Way West.

    St. Pauls Roundabout68 m

  23. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A36/Churchill Way West.

    A36664 m

  24. Roundabout:

    Enter Castle Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A36/Churchill Way North.

    Castle Roundabout54 m

  25. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A36/Churchill Way North.

    A36773 m

  26. Roundabout:

    Enter St Mark's Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A30/London Road.

    St Mark's Roundabout24 m

  27. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A30/London Road.

    A30672 m

  28. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Cheverell Avenue.

    Cheverell Avenue31 m

  29. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Stockwood Close.

    Stockwood Close141 m

  30. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Stockwood Close.

    Stockwood Close141 m

  31. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Cheverell Avenue.

    Cheverell Avenue31 m

  32. Turn left:

    Turn left onto A30/London Road.

    A30671 m

  33. Roundabout:

    Enter St Mark's Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A36/Churchill Way East.

    St Mark's Roundabout42 m

  34. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A36/Churchill Way East.

    A361.2 km

  35. Roundabout:

    Enter College Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A338/Churchill Way South.

    College Roundabout41 m

  36. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto A338/Churchill Way South.

    A338465 m

  37. Roundabout:

    Enter Exeter Street Roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Exeter Street.

    Exeter Street Roundabout81 m

  38. Leave roundabout:

    Exit the roundabout onto Exeter Street.

    Exeter Street584 m

  39. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Ivy Street.

    Ivy Street35 m

  40. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Antelope Court.

    Antelope Court46 m

  41. Turn right:

    Turn right to stay on Antelope Court.

    Antelope Court41 m

  42. U-turn:

    Make a right U-turn to stay on Antelope Court.

    Antelope Court41 m

  43. Turn right:

    Turn right.

    32 m

  44. Turn right:

    Turn right.

    52 m

  45. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Brown Street.

    Brown Street203 m

  46. Turn left:

    Turn left onto St Ann Street.

    St Ann Street118 m

  47. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Love Lane.

    Love Lane279 m

  48. Turn right:

    Turn right onto Milford Street.

    Milford Street146 m

  49. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Rampart Road.

    Rampart Road272 m

  50. Turn right:

    Move right onto Kelsey Road.

    Kelsey Road145 m

  51. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Manor Road.

    Manor Road119 m

  52. Turn left:

    Turn left onto Rougemont Close.

    Rougemont Close54 m

  53. Turn left:

    Turn left to stay on Rougemont Close.

    Rougemont Close37 m

  54. Arrive:

    You have arrived at your destination.

Directions for the Salisbury · Residential practice loop loop. Always drive to the road and conditions you see, not the list — signs, signals and other traffic take priority.

Local roads & landmarks

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.

Junctions & roundabouts

Decide your lane and exit on the approach to each of these, get set up early.

  • Exeter Street Roundabout

Schools

Watch for 20 mph zones, crossings and children near these.

  • SAIL (Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning)
  • St Marys Hall of Residence
  • St Osmund's Catholic Primary School, Salisbury

Churches

Useful navigation anchors on the loop.

  • St Paul's
  • Quaker Meeting House
  • Emmanuel Church
  • St Mark's Church
  • St Osmund Catholic Church

Parks & green space

Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.

  • Greencroft

Pubs

Easy landmarks to navigate the loop by.

  • Horse & Groom
  • Wyndham Arms
  • Bell & Crown
  • Huntsman Tavern

Shops & parades

Frequent stop-start traffic and pedestrians, keep your speed down.

  • Salisbury Antiques Centre
  • Britz, Fish & Chips
  • Bargain Booze
  • Avery Accident Repair Specialists Ltd

Watch out for

  • Roundabout

    Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Exeter Street Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.

Drive it: landmark by landmark

Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.

  1. St Paul's

    Start near St Paul's.

  2. Quaker Meeting House

    Continue to Quaker Meeting House.

  3. Horse & Groom

    Continue to Horse & Groom.

  4. SAIL (Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning)

    Continue to SAIL (Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning).

  5. Salisbury Antiques Centre

    Continue to Salisbury Antiques Centre.

  6. Britz, Fish & Chips

    Continue to Britz, Fish & Chips.

  7. Bargain Booze

    Continue to Bargain Booze.

  8. Emmanuel Church

    Continue to Emmanuel Church.

  9. Avery Accident Repair Specialists Ltd

    Continue to Avery Accident Repair Specialists Ltd.

  10. St Mark's Church

    Continue to St Mark's Church.

  11. Wyndham Arms

    Continue to Wyndham Arms.

  12. Greencroft

    Continue to Greencroft.

  13. St Marys Hall of Residence

    Continue to St Marys Hall of Residence.

  14. Exeter Street Roundabout

    Continue to Exeter Street Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.

  15. St Osmund's Catholic Primary School, Salisbury

    Continue to St Osmund's Catholic Primary School, Salisbury.

  16. St Osmund Catholic Church

    Continue to St Osmund Catholic Church.

  17. Bell & Crown

    Continue to Bell & Crown.

  18. Salisbury Baptist Church

    Continue to Salisbury Baptist Church.

  19. Huntsman Tavern

    Continue to Huntsman Tavern.

  20. Botanic Cocktail Bar

    Finish back near Botanic Cocktail Bar, completing the loop.

More routes at Salisbury test centre

Route FAQs

This route is 12.8 km and takes about 17 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Salisbury test centre, not an official DVSA route.