Near Taunton test centre
Rated challenging from its real manoeuvre load, 10 roundabouts and 11 turns across 23 navigation steps.
This is an independent 9.7 km practice loop near Taunton test centre, taking roughly 13 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 Priorswood Road, Silk Mills Roundabout and Nerrols Farm 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 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 Taunton 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 23-step drive on real, named roads (about 9.7 km). An indicative practice loop, not an official DVSA route — the roads and junctions are real, the sequence is a rehearsal.
Drive west on Crown Close.
Crown Close73 m
Turn right to stay on Crown Close.
Crown Close62 m
Turn left onto Venture Way.
Venture Way396 m
Turn right to stay on Venture Way.
Venture Way192 m
Turn left onto Priorswood Road.
Priorswood Road65 m
Turn right to stay on Priorswood Road.
Priorswood Road30 m
Turn left onto Priorswood Road/A3259.
Priorswood Road130 m
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Priorswood Road/A358.
29 m
Exit the roundabout onto Priorswood Road/A358. Continue on A358.
A3581.1 km
Move left onto Greenway Road/A358. Continue on A358.
A3582.2 km
Enter Silk Mills Roundabout and take the 1st exit onto Silk Mills Lane/A3065.
Silk Mills Roundabout3 m
Exit the roundabout onto Silk Mills Lane/A3065.
Silk Mills Lane409 m
Make a right U-turn at Bindon Road to stay on Silk Mills Lane/A3065.
Silk Mills Lane418 m
Enter Silk Mills Roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Minehead Road/A358.
Silk Mills Roundabout41 m
Exit the roundabout onto Minehead Road/A358. Continue on A358.
A3583.3 km
Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Priorswood Road/A3259.
30 m
Exit the roundabout onto Priorswood Road/A3259.
Priorswood Road723 m
Enter Nerrols Farm Roundabout and take the 4th exit onto Venture Way.
Nerrols Farm Roundabout120 m
Exit the roundabout onto Venture Way.
Venture Way219 m
Turn right to stay on Venture Way.
Venture Way110 m
Turn left onto Crown Close.
Crown Close62 m
Turn left to stay on Crown Close.
Crown Close73 m
You have arrived at your destination.
Directions for the Taunton · Dual-carriageway 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.
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.
Roundabout
Watch your lane discipline and signalling at Silk Mills Roundabout, Nerrols Farm Roundabout. Get into the correct lane early and check your exit mirror before leaving.
Navigate by these 20 catalogued landmarks rather than a memorised turn list, an indicative loop, not an official DVSA route.
Euro Car Parts
Start near Euro Car Parts.
J.A.B
Continue to J.A.B.
Marsh Cars Kia
Continue to Marsh Cars Kia.
Somerset County Cars
Continue to Somerset County Cars.
Priorswood Road
Continue to Priorswood Road, taking the junction with good observation.
One Stop
Continue to One Stop.
Choo Choo's Day Nursery & Preschool
Continue to Choo Choo's Day Nursery & Preschool.
Tesco Express
Continue to Tesco Express.
Fortune Inn
Continue to Fortune Inn.
St Andrew's CofE Church
Continue to St Andrew's CofE Church.
Welcome Staplegrove
Continue to Welcome Staplegrove.
Cross Keys (E-bound)
Continue to Cross Keys (E-bound).
Silk Mills Roundabout
Continue to Silk Mills Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
Greenway Garage
Continue to Greenway Garage.
Greenway Motors MoT Centre
Continue to Greenway Motors MoT Centre.
Rowbarton Methodist Church
Continue to Rowbarton Methodist Church.
Co-operative Funeralcare
Continue to Co-operative Funeralcare.
Fairwater Garage
Continue to Fairwater Garage.
Nerrols Farm Roundabout
Continue to Nerrols Farm Roundabout, taking the junction with good observation.
GSF Car Parts
Finish back near GSF Car Parts, completing the loop.
39 roundabouts · 8 turns
30 roundabouts · 20 turns
38 roundabouts · 25 turns
14 roundabouts · 10 turns
This route is 9.7 km and takes about 13 min to drive at a steady learner pace. It is an independent practice loop near Taunton test centre, not an official DVSA route.