Near Shirley test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 6 roundabouts, 20 turns and 1 signalled junction across 28 navigation steps.
This is an independent 32.4 km practice route near Shirley test centre, taking roughly 40 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 Warwick Road. 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, 20 mph zones, residential manoeuvres, busy a-roads 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 pubs, churches, named junctions and stations, 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 117-step drive on real, named roads (about 33.8 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 2nd exit onto School Road.
28 m
Exit the roundabout onto School Road.
School Road259 m
Turn left onto Bills Lane.
Bills Lane104 m
Keep left to stay on Bills Lane.
Bills Lane983 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 Lane55 m
Turn left onto Shirley Park Road.
Shirley Park Road47 m
Keep left to stay on Shirley Park Road.
Shirley Park Road326 m
Turn left onto Grenville Road.
Grenville Road197 m
Turn right onto Hurdis Road.
Hurdis Road214 m
Turn left onto Middleton Road.
Middleton Road325 m
Turn left onto Velsheda Road.
Velsheda Road82 m
Turn right to stay on Velsheda Road.
Velsheda Road200 m
Move right to stay on Velsheda Road.
Velsheda Road88 m
Turn left to stay on Velsheda Road.
Velsheda Road46 m
Keep left to stay on Velsheda Road.
Velsheda Road58 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Horrell Road.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Horrell Road.
Horrell Road113 m
Turn right onto Stroud Road.
Stroud Road370 m
Turn left onto Delrene Road.
Delrene Road416 m
Keep left to stay on Delrene Road.
Delrene Road135 m
Turn left onto Acheson Road.
Acheson Road490 m
Keep right to stay on Acheson Road.
Acheson Road89 m
Turn left onto Stroud Road.
Stroud Road44 m
Keep right to stay on Stroud Road.
Stroud Road49 m
Turn left onto Watwood Road.
Watwood Road486 m
Turn left onto Delrene Road.
Delrene Road127 m
Move right onto Acheson Road.
Acheson Road119 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 Lane405 m
Turn left onto Scribers Lane.
Scribers Lane26 m
Turn left to stay on Scribers Lane.
Scribers Lane541 m
Keep right to stay on Scribers Lane.
Scribers Lane74 m
Turn right onto Tixall Road.
Tixall Road687 m
Turn left onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road440 m
Turn right to stay on Highfield Road.
Highfield Road269 m
Turn left onto Glastonbury Road.
Glastonbury Road43 m
Turn left onto School Road.
School Road185 m
Turn left onto Priory Road.
Priory Road504 m
Turn left onto Paradise Lane.
Paradise Lane24 m
Turn right to stay on Paradise Lane.
Paradise Lane19 m
Turn left onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road246 m
Make a right U-turn to stay on Highfield Road.
Highfield Road624 m
Turn right onto Trittiford Road.
Trittiford Road737 m
Turn left onto Hullbrook Road.
Hullbrook Road142 m
Turn left onto Eastham Road.
Eastham Road256 m
Turn left onto Purefoy Road.
Purefoy Road112 m
Turn right onto Trittiford Road.
Trittiford Road406 m
Turn left onto Highfield Road.
Highfield Road821 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Highfield Road/A4040.
36 m
Exit the roundabout onto Highfield Road/A4040.
Highfield Road599 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.
A4040977 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 Road606 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 Road454 m
Turn right onto Burman Road.
Burman Road96 m
Keep left to stay on Burman Road.
Burman Road138 m
Keep right to stay on Burman Road.
Burman Road77 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 Lane521 m
Turn right onto Shakespeare Drive.
Shakespeare Drive425 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Shakespeare Drive.
84 m
Exit the roundabout onto Shakespeare Drive.
Shakespeare Drive179 m
Keep right to stay on Shakespeare Drive.
Shakespeare Drive256 m
Turn left onto A34/Stratford Road.
A34380 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto A34/Stratford Road.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto A34/Stratford Road.
A34358 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Shirley · Route 4 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.
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 0.6 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.
Woodmans Rest
Start near Woodmans Rest.
Shirley Christadelphian Hall
Continue to Shirley Christadelphian Hall.
Colebrook Inn
Continue to Colebrook Inn.
Baldwin
Continue to Baldwin.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Continue to Our Lady of Lourdes.
D J Quinn's
Continue to D J Quinn's.
Church of the Ascension
Continue to Church of the Ascension.
Warwick Road
Continue to Warwick Road, taking the junction with good observation.
Acocks Green
Continue to Acocks Green.
M&G Storage
Continue to M&G Storage.
Nanny Chi Chi's Day Nursery
Continue to Nanny Chi Chi's Day Nursery.
Bulls Head
Continue to Bulls Head.
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.
One Stop
Continue to One Stop.
Shirley Community Church
Continue to Shirley Community Church.
In the Frame
Continue to In the Frame.
Mad Hatters Day Nursery
Continue to Mad Hatters Day Nursery.
Strawberry Fields
Finish back near Strawberry Fields, completing the loop.
7 roundabouts · 8 turns · 2 sets of lights
9 roundabouts · 8 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 17 turns · 1 set of lights
4 roundabouts · 14 turns · 1 set of lights
This route is 32.4 km and takes about 40 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Shirley test centre, not an official DVSA route.