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Stansted Mountfitchet, more commonly known as simply Stansted in keeping with the nearby airport, is a small settlement around two miles from its eponymous airport. Although the location had seen activity during the Roman occupation of Britain, at that time it was merely used as a burial ground. It was not until the arrival of the Saxons that Stansted saw the establishment of the first inhabited settlement, the name Stansted deriving from the ancient Saxon word for "stony place." The Mountfitchet suffix was appended after the Norman invasion, inherited from the baron who settled in the location. The ruins of his fortress, Mountfitchet Castle, can still be found at Stansted and are a popular tourist attraction.

During World War 2 the US Air Force constructed an airfield near the village that played a critical role during the liberation of Europe, a base for bombers that provided air-support during the Allied landings on the Normandy beaches on D-Day. After the end of World War 2 the airfield was taken over by the government as a maintenance base for the RAF. In 1949 control of the airport was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and thus began its transformation in to the commercial airport that exists today.

In 1966 the British Airports Authority took over the airfield and a new terminal was built just four years later. Major expansion was proposed in 1978 and seven years later permission was granted to start building work which began the following year. Stansted Airport was officially opened by the Queen in 1991 after £400 million had been spent on the terminal and its other facilities. Under the roof of the modern-looking Stansted are all the features one would expect from a major UK airport, such as restaurants, cafés, shops and money exchange bureaus.

Situated mid-way between London and Cambridge, Stansted Airport is now the UK's third busiest and third largest airport. Just 30 miles outside of London, its convenient location next to the M11 motorway provides easy access to both the capital and East Anglia. For those who prefer not to drive, it takes less than 50 minutes to arrive in London via the Stansted Express.

London Stansted Airport carries in the region of 19 million passengers each year with many low-cost airlines, most notably Ryanair, flying from the destination. Holiday-makers and business people fly to more than 150 destinations in 30 countries, with European destinations among the most popular. Some 20 airlines operate from the airport, taking off and landing from its one runway and passing people on through the one terminal.