Refreshing this thread purely to say that there are LOADS of really good young fingerstyle guitarists out there, but very few who see the folk clubs as their natural home, which makes sense really - why would they put their efforts into getting gigs at a previous generation's social scene, when they could be playing to their peers?

I'm not convinced that being influenced by American players is a problem - many British players have been fascinated by American styles over the years, and why not? What's not to like? It works both ways - Stefan Grossman is on record talking about his love of John Renbourn's playing, for example:http://workandworry.com/2014/07/29/stefan-grossman-the-work-worry-interview-part-2/#more-4135.

Meanwhile you may want to check out some of the guitarists I have interviewed at North Country Primitive. If you want a British player, go straight to the interview with Nick Jonah Davis.

http://www.northcountryprimitive.com