Near Shirley test centre
Rated easy from its real manoeuvre load, 4 roundabouts, 17 turns and 1 signalled junction across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 42.8 km practice loop near Shirley 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.
On this route you’ll practise multiple roundabouts, dual-carriageway joins, 20 mph zones, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads, independent driving and sustained concentration. 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, shops, pubs and schools, 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 Shirley 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 133-step drive on real, named roads (about 42.7 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west.
144 m
Turn right.
15 m
Turn right onto A34/Stratford Road.
A34140 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Union Road.
54 m
Exit the roundabout onto Union Road.
Union Road620 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Union Road.
39 m
Exit the roundabout onto Union Road.
Union Road623 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
45 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road.
A341.2 km
Turn left onto Haslucks Green Road.
Haslucks Green Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Haslucks Green Road.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Haslucks Green Road.
Haslucks Green Road130 m
Keep right to stay on Haslucks Green Road.
Haslucks Green Road537 m
Turn right onto Green Lane.
Green Lane397 m
Move right onto Aqueduct Road.
Aqueduct Road337 m
Turn right onto Colebrook Road.
Colebrook Road113 m
Keep left to stay on Colebrook Road.
Colebrook Road334 m
Turn left onto Acheson Road.
Acheson Road69 m
Keep left to stay on Acheson Road.
Acheson Road24 m
Turn right onto Stroud Road.
Stroud Road94 m
Turn left onto Watwood Road.
Watwood Road152 m
Turn right onto Geoffrey Road.
Geoffrey Road390 m
Turn right onto Delrene Road.
Delrene Road112 m
Turn right onto Berkeley Road.
Berkeley Road488 m
Turn left onto Watwood Road.
Watwood Road79 m
Turn right onto Stroud Road.
Stroud Road94 m
Turn right onto Acheson Road.
Acheson Road89 m
Keep left to stay on Acheson Road.
Acheson Road645 m
Turn right onto Baldwins Lane.
Baldwins Lane123 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Baldwins Lane.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Baldwins Lane.
Baldwins Lane456 m
Move left onto Primrose Lane.
Primrose Lane104 m
Keep left to stay on Primrose Lane.
Primrose Lane319 m
Turn left onto Robin Hood Lane.
Robin Hood Lane336 m
Keep right to stay on Robin Hood Lane.
Robin Hood Lane290 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Robin Hood Lane.
95 m
Exit the roundabout onto Robin Hood Lane.
Robin Hood Lane116 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Robin Hood Lane.
Robin Hood Lane138 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Highfield Road.
11 m
Exit the roundabout onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road11 m
Keep right to stay on Highfield Road.
Highfield Road1.9 km
Make a right U-turn to stay on Priory Road.
Priory Road581 m
Turn left onto Ravenshill Road.
Ravenshill Road326 m
Turn left onto The Centreway.
The Centreway154 m
Turn left to stay on The Centreway.
The Centreway56 m
Turn left onto Greenaleigh Road.
Greenaleigh Road206 m
Turn right onto Ravenshill Road.
Ravenshill Road270 m
Turn right onto Priory Road.
Priory Road866 m
Move left to stay on Priory Road.
Priory Road182 m
Turn left onto Colebrook Road.
Colebrook Road661 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Haslucks Green Road.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Haslucks Green Road.
Haslucks Green Road300 m
Turn right onto Hurdis Road.
Hurdis Road121 m
Keep left to stay on Hurdis Road.
Hurdis Road446 m
Keep right to stay on Hurdis Road.
Hurdis Road174 m
Turn left onto Bills Lane.
Bills Lane97 m
Keep right to stay on Bills Lane.
Bills Lane227 m
Keep right to stay on School Road.
School Road101 m
Keep right to stay on School Road.
School Road8 m
Turn left onto A34/Stratford Road.
A34239 m
Turn left onto Church Road.
Church Road328 m
Keep left to take Bills Lane.
Bills Lane502 m
Turn right onto Burman Road.
Burman Road620 m
Turn right onto Haslucks Green Road.
Haslucks Green Road214 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Colebrook Road.
15 m
Exit the roundabout onto Colebrook Road.
Colebrook Road1.3 km
Turn right onto Yardley Wood Road.
Yardley Wood Road822 m
Turn left onto Prince of Wales Lane.
Prince of Wales Lane289 m
Turn right.
73 m
Turn left.
27 m
Turn right.
32 m
Turn left.
9 m
Turn left onto Prince of Wales Lane.
Prince of Wales Lane670 m
Turn right onto School Road.
School Road210 m
Keep right to stay on School Road.
School Road486 m
Keep right to stay on School Road.
School Road138 m
Turn left onto Priory Road.
Priory Road1.0 km
Exit the roundabout onto Highfield Road/A4040.
Highfield Road601 m
Turn left onto A34/Stratford Road.
A3443 m
Turn right onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road620 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
38 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
52 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road242 m
Turn right onto Westley Road/B4146.
Westley Road569 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto A41/Warwick Road.
2 m
Exit the roundabout onto A41/Warwick Road.
A4167 m
Turn right onto Dudley Park Road/B4146.
Dudley Park Road41 m
Keep left to stay on B4146.
B41461.3 km
Turn left onto Mansfield Road.
Mansfield Road231 m
Move left onto Stockfield Road/A4040. Continue on A4040.
A4040978 m
Turn left onto A41/Warwick Road.
A41122 m
Turn right onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road584 m
Turn right to stay on Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road260 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
48 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road1.1 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Fox Hollies Road/A4040.
Fox Hollies Road611 m
Turn left onto A34/Stratford Road.
A3452 m
Turn right onto Highfield Road/A4040.
Highfield Road607 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Highfield Road.
43 m
Exit the roundabout onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road2.5 km
Turn right onto High Street.
High Street515 m
Keep straight to stay on High Street.
High Street398 m
Turn right onto Greenslade Road.
Greenslade Road66 m
Keep left to stay on Greenslade Road.
Greenslade Road54 m
Turn right onto Ox Hill Road.
Ox Hill Road326 m
Turn right onto Yardley Wood Road.
Yardley Wood Road170 m
Turn left onto High Street.
High Street498 m
Turn right onto Aqueduct Road.
Aqueduct Road337 m
Move left onto Green Lane.
Green Lane397 m
Turn left onto Haslucks Green Road.
Haslucks Green Road320 m
Turn right onto Sansome Road.
Sansome Road429 m
Turn right onto Loxley Avenue.
Loxley Avenue239 m
Turn right onto Lindridge Road.
Lindridge Road80 m
Keep left to stay on Lindridge Road.
Lindridge Road144 m
Turn right onto Neville Road.
Neville Road222 m
Turn left onto Sansome Road.
Sansome Road114 m
Turn right onto Haslucks Green Road.
Haslucks Green Road134 m
Turn right onto Burman Road.
Burman Road64 m
Keep right to stay on Burman Road.
Burman Road247 m
Turn left onto Burman Close.
Burman Close112 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Burman Close.
Burman Close112 m
Turn left onto Burman Road.
Burman Road308 m
Turn right onto Bills Lane.
Bills Lane482 m
Turn right onto Neville Road.
Neville Road75 m
Move right to stay on Neville Road.
Neville Road41 m
Turn left to stay on Neville Road.
Neville Road100 m
Turn left onto Bills Lane.
Bills Lane631 m
Keep left to stay on Bills Lane.
Bills Lane129 m
Keep right to stay on Bills Lane.
Bills Lane223 m
Keep right to stay on Bills Lane.
Bills Lane227 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Shirley · Route 14 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.
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
Approach in the correct lane, signal on the exit before yours, and keep checking your mirrors as you leave.
Dual-carriageway join
About 1.9 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.
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.
Shirley Baptist Church
Start near Shirley Baptist Church.
Shirley Methodist Church
Continue to Shirley Methodist Church.
Shirley Community Church
Continue to Shirley Community Church.
Hair by David
Continue to Hair by David.
Baldwin
Continue to Baldwin.
Little Robins Day Nursery
Continue to Little Robins Day Nursery.
Haven Church
Continue to Haven Church.
Yardley Wood Full Gospel Church
Continue to Yardley Wood Full Gospel Church.
Haslucks Fish Bar
Continue to Haslucks Fish Bar.
Shirley Christadelphian Hall
Continue to Shirley Christadelphian Hall.
St James the Great
Continue to St James the Great.
Christ Church
Continue to Christ Church.
D J Quinn's
Continue to D J Quinn's.
Church of the Ascension
Continue to Church of the Ascension.
Acocks Green
Continue to Acocks Green.
Star News
Continue to Star News.
Nanny Chi Chi's Day Nursery
Continue to Nanny Chi Chi's Day Nursery.
Hall Green Kebab House
Continue to Hall Green Kebab House.
One Stop
Continue to One Stop.
Amanda's
Finish back near Amanda's, completing the loop.
7 roundabouts · 8 turns · 2 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 8 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 14 turns · 1 set of lights
10 roundabouts · 10 turns · 1 set of lights
This route is 42.8 km and takes about 30 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Shirley test centre, not an official DVSA route.