As a listener (my very limited finger playing does not put me in a position to judge as a performer) I'd say that although clawhammer and Travis picking lend themselves well to a quantity of America material, for interpreting English folk music many of the best accompanists (of themselves or others) clearly reveal that they were originally classical guitar players, and that the other most apparently apt approaches are based on Nic Jones and Martin Carthy (well, what most people think of as characteristic Martin Carthy, he is actually very adept in a range of styles) styles.