Hexham is a historic market town in Northumberland, England, renowned for its blend of ancient heritage and modern community spirit. Nestled on the south bank of the River Tyne, it traces its origins to the 7th century, beginning with a monastery founded by Saint Wilfrid. Over time, this site evolved into the magnificent Hexham Abbey, one of the region’s most iconic landmarks. Today, the Abbey remains at the heart of Hexham’s identity, drawing visitors to admire its medieval architecture, serene ambience, and fascinating historical artifacts. Beyond its religious significance, the Abbey has served as a cultural hub for centuries, reflecting the town’s resilience in the face of change. Beyond the Abbey’s imposing silhouette, Hexham is characterized by its winding streets and the traditional market square. This bustling center has long been a focal point of commerce, hosting regular markets that offer fresh produce, handcrafted goods, and an authentic taste of Northumbrian life. Many of the surrounding buildings date to the medieval or Georgian periods, imbuing the townscape with a sense of timelessness. Even today, the market tradition remains a lively cornerstone of the community, celebrating local agriculture and craftsmanship. A short walk from the square leads to The Old Gaol, reputedly England’s oldest purpose-built prison, now a museum showcasing the region’s turbulent Border Reiver history. Hexham’s dedication to preserving its past is evident in its well-curated heritage sites and annual events. From the autumn Hexham Abbey Festival of Music and Arts to bustling farmers’ markets, the town’s cultural calendar offers ample opportunities to experience local traditions firsthand. Meanwhile, the surrounding countryside, characterized by rolling hills and wooded valleys, invites exploration on foot or by bike. With Hadrian’s Wall and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty nearby, Hexham is also a gateway to some of northern England’s most dramatic scenery. Those planning a driving test in Hexham will find a variety of road conditions. Narrow streets near the Abbey demand careful navigation, while modern residential areas introduce roundabouts and mixed-traffic situations. Venturing beyond the town’s boundaries, drivers may encounter scenic country lanes where shifting speed limits and sharper bends require close attention. This contrast between urban and rural routes provides a comprehensive challenge, helping new drivers build confidence and adaptability behind the wheel. Best of luck on your driving test in this captivating market town, where every turn reveals another piece of its storied past.
St Andrews House Haugh Lane Hexham Northumberland NE46 3EW
Male, female and disabled toilets are available
Car
You can get into the test centre in a wheelchair
Parking is available at this test centre
020 8158 0247
Check out the gov.uk – ‘book your driving test’ service for availability.
You can download test routes for your mobile device or Sat Nav. Our test routes are available in .GPX file format and are compatible with popular navigation apps such as TomTom Go App, available for both iPhone and Android, as well as TomTom, Garmin, Navigon, and CoPilot Live SatNav systems, Download Driving Test Routes. The most cost-effective option is to use the TomTom Go App on your mobile phone with a phone holder. Our guide on how to use the TomTom Go App makes it easy to navigate the test routes and ace your driving test. Check out our guide on how to use TomTom Go App
This is the day and finally you are ready to take your practical driving test! Of course you will be feeling a little nervous? you don’t need to be, the examiner is just going to be observing you driving safely, and the test is very straight forward and shouldn’t be anything new to you.
On the day of the test you just need to be at a Hexham Test Centre 10 mins before your test, making sure you have your Provisional Driving License with you. The test will be as follows.
20 minutes of general driving, where you’ll be following instructions from the driving test examiner, and will also need to perform one of the following manoeuvres
One “show me” questions covering vehicle controls, this will be asked while you are driving along. (click here)
Once you get back to Hexham driving test centre, you’ll find out if all of your hard work has paid off. The examiner will tell you the result and give you some feedback which will contain any faults you might have accumulated. If you pass, the examiner will also give you a test pass certificate and the opportunity to send off for your new licence then and there. The full test report will be sent to you via the email that you provided when you booked your driving test.
More details can be found Here
If you’re to be a qualified driver in the a test area, be prepared to face a variety of difficult traffic conditions and road types. Whilst the driving examiner isn’t looking to fail you, their job is to make sure that you are actually ready to remove the L plates. As such, they’ll take you through a thorough test to see if you can handle safely all of the challenges Hexham has to offer. With a variety of dual carriageways, residential roads, and congested areas, you’ll also need to be at ease with responding to different speed limits, it is worth practising this well as there are a lot of narrow streets. The test centre is based on an industrial estate area but with many test routes that take you out onto the dual carriageways and these are definitely worth practising. Also, it is worth practising some of the larger roundabouts around the test centre.
Want to be more familiar with Hexham? here are some useful links below.
Having local knowledge of the test area will give you a great advantage when it comes to taking your driving test. The DVSA does not make test routes public however, The test routes available on our site are the knowledge gained from local driving instructors who are able to either sit in on lessons or can track their cars whilst they are out on test. They are all current routes that can be used by the DVSA examiners. Downloading the test routes yourself if you have someone else that you can practise driving with will be a huge advantage and potentially save you a considerable amount of money and possibly speed up the time it will take to pass your test.
We are so confident in the quality of our test routes we always offer a free sample of one of the routes for you to take look at and practice before buying the full pack of routes – click HERE for a FREE Hexham Driving Test Route
It can be very upsetting to not pass your driving test, but as you can see from the figures above that quite a few people do not pass their driving test immediately, it may take them several attempts. Don’t be disheartened by this and take the time to do further practise and seek professional advice from an instructor if you feel it is nessasary.
Once you feel ready to take your test you can re-book through the gov.uk – ‘book your driving test’ service additionally, you can use various websites/apps to find earlier cancellation appointments the one we recommend is below.
If you need a new driving instructor try searching for one at Drive Academy – one of the UK’s leading directories of driving instructors
