Potterne is positioned centrally in the County of Wiltshire close to the historic sites of Stonehenge, Silbury Hill and the Avebury Stone Circle. The village sits on the western side of the Pewsey Vale just to the north of Salisbury Plain and some 2 miles to the south of Devizes on the main Devizes to Salisbury A360 road. It is one of the larger villages in the western part of the Kennet District with a population of around 1600.

The geology and undulating landscapes are important influences on the character of the village; on the eastern side is a promontory of upper greensand with a gault outcrop to the west, and further west the clay area of mid Wiltshire. The height of land within the built up area varies between around 66 to 107 metres with Potterne Field to the Northeast rising to some 146 metres.

The main road from the north descends through the village within a cutting carved out of the upper greensand; it then bends sharply at a right angle around the high-banked churchyard retaining stone wall before descending into the village centre at the High Street. The Parish Church sits on a knoll at the northern end of the High Street where it becomes a key feature. Rising steeply westward from the High Street is Court Hill leading out towards the village of Worton some 1.5miles away, to the East of the High Street is Coxhill Lane leading less steeply into Potterne Woods. Northwest is Whistley Road, which runs along the base of the valley and in part follows the course of a winterbourne¹ . The layout of villages is often related to historic water supply and Potterne is no exception, with its array of village pumps, wells and natural springs.