Near Stirling Court test centre
Rated demanding from its real manoeuvre load, 20 roundabouts and 13 turns across 43 navigation steps.
This is an independent 19.5 km practice loop near Stirling Court test centre, taking roughly 24 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 Elstree Way. 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 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 shops, named junctions, parks 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 Stirling Court 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 43-step drive on real, named roads (about 19.5 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive southeast.
56 m
Turn left onto Stirling Way.
Stirling Way284 m
Turn right onto Ripon Way.
Ripon Way38 m
Turn left onto A1/Barnet Bypass.
A1841 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Rowley Lane/A5135.
293 m
Exit the roundabout onto Rowley Lane/A5135. Continue on A5135.
A5135926 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
25 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way24 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way509 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Brook Road.
82 m
Exit the roundabout onto Brook Road.
Brook Road539 m
Turn right onto Hartforde Road.
Hartforde Road196 m
Turn left onto Winstre Road.
Winstre Road293 m
Turn left onto Grove Road.
Grove Road193 m
Turn left onto Brook Road.
Brook Road773 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
57 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way509 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
22 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135.
Elstree Way21 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Elstree Way/A5135.
4 m
Exit the roundabout onto Elstree Way/A5135. Continue on A5135.
A5135588 m
Move right to stay on A5135.
A5135473 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Rowley Lane/A5135.
86 m
Exit the roundabout onto Rowley Lane/A5135. Continue on A5135.
A5135339 m
Stay straight to take the ramp towards A1.
A11.5 km
Enter Stirling Corner and take the 2nd exit onto A1/Barnet Way.
Stirling Corner98 m
Exit the roundabout onto A1/Barnet Way.
A12.3 km
Turn left onto Marsh Lane/A5109.
Marsh Lane1.2 km
Turn right onto Highwood Hill/B552. Continue on B552.
B5522.0 km
Turn left onto Rosalind Close.
Rosalind Close21 m
Turn left.
1 m
Make a right U-turn.
1 m
Turn right onto Rosalind Close.
Rosalind Close21 m
Turn right onto The Ridgeway/B552. Continue on B552.
B5522.0 km
Move right onto Highwood Hill/B552.
Highwood Hill17 m
Turn right onto Marsh Lane/A5109. Continue on A5109.
A5109546 m
Turn left onto Hendon Wood Lane/B552.
Hendon Wood Lane1.4 km
Turn left onto Barnet Road/A411.
Barnet Road908 m
Enter Stirling Corner and take the 3rd exit onto Stirling Way.
Stirling Corner109 m
Exit the roundabout onto Stirling Way.
Stirling Way277 m
Turn left.
56 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Stirling Court · School-zone 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.
Pedestrian crossings and parked cars are common nearby.
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.
Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd
Start near Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd.
Topps Tiles
Continue to Topps Tiles.
M&S Simply Food
Continue to M&S Simply Food.
Halfords Autocentre
Continue to Halfords Autocentre.
National Tyres and Autocare
Continue to National Tyres and Autocare.
Elstree Way
Continue to Elstree Way, taking the junction with good observation.
Borehamwood Fire Station
Continue to Borehamwood Fire Station.
Borehamwood War Memorial
Continue to Borehamwood War Memorial.
Borehamwood Police Station
Continue to Borehamwood Police Station.
Elstree Way Clinic
Continue to Elstree Way Clinic.
Scratchwood Park
Continue to Scratchwood Park.
Rising Sun
Continue to Rising Sun.
Belmont School - Mill Hill Preparatory School
Continue to Belmont School - Mill Hill Preparatory School.
St Paul's
Continue to St Paul's.
St. Paul's Church of England Primary School
Continue to St. Paul's Church of England Primary School.
Church of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star
Continue to Church of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star.
Three Hammers
Continue to Three Hammers.
Gate
Continue to Gate.
Little Waitrose
Continue to Little Waitrose.
Barons Borehamwood Mini
Finish back near Barons Borehamwood Mini, completing the loop.
35 roundabouts · 6 turns
20 roundabouts · 18 turns
4 roundabouts · 7 turns
16 roundabouts · 15 turns
This route is 19.5 km and takes about 24 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Stirling Court test centre, not an official DVSA route.