Driving Lessons in Islington

Pass faster with our complete learner driver guide

Last updated: 12 Aug 2020

Driving lessons in Islington

Popular areas include:

Angel, Arsenal, Barnsbury, Canonbury, Clerkenwell, Colville Estate, Finsbury Park, Highbury Lower Holloway, and Tufnell Park.

Enter your postcode above to check lesson pricing in your local areas of Islington.

View other guides: Driving Lessons in London, Driving Lessons in Birmingham, Driving Lessons in Manchester.

Learning to drive in Islington

Islington’s busy roads make a good test for any learner driver. Mastering these London streets will make you ready for almost any challenge.

There are a good few quiet streets to hone the basics on, like Turlewray Close and Highbury Crescent. There (or on a similar road nearer you) your instructor will help you get to grips with clutch control, moving off and stopping, turning, and signalling. Once you’re confident, they’ll move you onto the busier roads.

You’ll have to get used to driving around parked cars, given the number of them you’ll find in Islington. And whilst parked cars may make manoeuvres tight, it means you’ll never be short of places to practise your parallel park. Just make sure you take it slow and always check your mirrors!

The A1 (Holloway Road) can take you north or south through Islington, past London Metropolitan University, and it’s a great road to experience all different kinds of challenges on. There are controlled junctions, box junctions, speed cameras, and bus lanes to name but a few. There’s also the A501 towards the south of Islington if you want further practice. Take it lesson by lesson, and soon enough you’ll be feeling ready for your practical test!

Taking your test in Islington

The Wood Green Test Centre, right by Wood Green Crown Court, is the main test centre in Islington, although there is another nearby in Tottenham. The DVSA has stopped publishing test routes, but your instructor will be on hand to help you learn all the roads around your chosen centre.

Like most London test centres, the Wood Green Test Centre is in a built-up residential area, which at the wrong time can be heavy with traffic. If you’ve got your test around a busy time, the school rush, or rush hour, it’s likely your examiner will take you off onto quieter roads to avoid getting stuck in traffic. These tend to be the narrow backstreets, which your instructor will help you master.

The A105 is also a possibility on your test, lying not far from the test centre. It’s probably the most complex road you’ll face unless your examiner takes you further afield. Pay attention to the 20 mph zones, the box junctions, and the buses. Your instructor will make sure you’ve had some practice on it, so come the test you’ll be ready. Just remember to stay relaxed, and try not to panic if you think you’ve made a mistake. You’ll do great!

Driving test centre locations

There are two test centres near Islington:

  • Wood Green: Wood Green Crown Court, Woodhall House, Lordship Lane, Wood Green, Greater London, N22 5LF.

  • Tottenham: Driving Test Centre Tottenham Annex Building, Selby Centre, Selby Road, Tottenham, Greater London, N17 8JL.

Manual vs automatic

Its your choice whether you want to learn in manual or have automatic driving lessons in Islington, so take your pick!

An automatic driving licence will only qualify you to drive automatic cars, whereas a manual licence will qualify you to drive either transmission. Automatic lessons also tend to be pricier, but since there’s less to learn in a manual, you may end up passing faster.

You might want to think about where you’ll be driving in Islington. If you’re planning on driving during rush hour, an automatic could be easier for you as you won’t have to worry about changing gears during heavy traffic. However, if you’re on a budget, a manual car might be better, as they are generally cheaper than automatics. The choice is yours!