Burton End to Tye Green

Stansted Airport is London's third international airport. Built on the site of a wartime American airbase, its construction ended 50 years of debate as to where it should be sited.

During the 1930s plans were announced for building an airport at Fairlop, near Hainault Forest, but these were overtaken by shortlists drawn up between the 1960s and 1970s for sites much further away from the urban fringe. One of these was Stansted and, after prolonged public debate, the airport finally opened in 1991. Today it carries around 17 million passengers each year to some 150 destinations. One of the conditions of construction was that no soil was to be taken from the site, and as a result some interesting archaeological finds dating from Neolithic to medieval times were discovered, some of which are displayed at Saffron Walden Museum. The striking design of the airport terminal, by Sir Norman Foster and much admired by visitors, is an example of how closely rural Essex is tied to the fortunes and changing needs of London. The airport is one of the biggest employers in the area, currently employing around 10,000 people, and has notable modern facilities including a spacious one-level terminal with natural light, minimum walking distances for passengers and state-of-the-art equipment to monitor noise levels.

Going for a Burton

This walk starts at the tiny hamlet of Burton End. With its attractive 18th- and 19th-century cottages and houses, it seems remarkably untouched by the development of the airport and its proximity to the busy M11. As you traverse arable fields you can't fail to hear the roar of aircraft engines as they take off or come in to land. In your meander across the beautiful rolling countryside of northwest Essex you may be surprised to discover a railway track, a spur line from Stansted Mountfitchet, which disappears beneath the airport runway. This line is the Stansted Express, which connects passengers with London's Liverpool Street Station and the airport terminal.

By far the most frequent visitors to the quiet lanes of Burton End and neighbouring Tye Green are the plane-spotters, who come out in all weathers to pursue their hobby from the grassy verges skirting the airport perimeter fence. If you're one of them, then this walk should be right up your runway.

Follow the public footpath sign beside a restored water pump at Burton End, and walk between houses to the arable field. Ignore the waymarked fingerpost, and follow the field-edge path initially backing onto houses, later with the ditch and hedges to your right. At the waymark cross between bushes and maintain direction, with the ditch and hedge on your left. Keep ahead, turning right and left at the waymarks, and go over a plank footbridge to reach the waymark on the edge of the copse of trees.

Turn right, and after 300yds (274m) go over a stile and cross the railway cutting. This is the spur line to Stansted Airport, so you even plane- and train-spot at the same time. Once over a second stile, turn left, with the railway on your left, and walk along the left-hand field-edge for 50yds (46m). At the next waymark, turn right onto the cross-field path to emerge at Tye Green Road.

Turn right onto Tye Green Road. At the houses, turn left to explore old cottages and the moated farm at Tye Green. Follow the track around The Green back to Tye Green Road, and turn left along the road which changes its name to Claypit Hill. The road bears sharply right – opposite is the emergency gateway set in the perimeter fence of Stansted Airport. From here, if there is room, you can jostle for position with plane-spotters to watch the noisy aircraft landing.

In front of the fence, turn right to walk along the verge between the airport perimeter fence and the road. Maintain your direction, following the path around the control tower and fire service training centre.

Turn right onto the farm track between Ryders Farm and Monks Farm. At the three-way junction at Belmer Road, turn left. Pass The Ash public house and turn left, passing Warmans Barn on your right, to return to your car at Burton End.