My husband and I have a long layover (traveling from Ireland to Iceland) in Stansted. We'd like to get out of the airport and see/do something. Suggestions?

From what time to what time? Assuming you arrive in the AM and fly out in the PM. The Henry Moore foundation is a possibility. Train to Bishop Stortford and taxi onwards.

Or Audley End is a great day out - Audley End House and Gardens Things to do | English Heritage - Train to Saffron Walden.

Or of course the Stansted Express will take you in to London Liverpool Street in 45 mins.

thanks janisj. if you had the choice between these, which would you choose?
$113 flight with 8.5hr layover in Stansted. arrive REK at 730pm.
$254 flight with 4 hr layover in Heathrow. arrive REK at 315pm.

Audley End would be a really good visit BUT a 4 hour layover at LHR and a mid afternoon arrival at REK would be usually be preferable to 8.5 hours anywhere IMO. Are you spending time in Iceland or just connecting through? You will be finishing up a rushed trip to Ireland so an exhausting 8.5 hour layover would just make things harder.

I would pay the price for the shorter layover.

Me too.

Cambridge is also just 36 minutes by direct train from Stansted Airport - lovely city to poke around for few hours - perhaps save $140 each and see something neat rather than whiling away time at Heathrow. But I see other points too like earlier arrival time in Iceland, whose international airport at Keflavik is a long way outside of town.